German biotech company developing the coronavirus vaccine BioNTech will lower the price of its drug for low-income countries. Reported by RIA Novosti.
A company representative clarified that from now on BioNTech will sell part of the drug “at prices not oriented to profit.”
Earlier, Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Albert Burla said low- and middle-income countries have opted not to buy the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. He claims that the company has asked all states to place orders so that it can allocate doses of the vaccine to them.
On May 7, BioNTech assessed the possibility of waiving patents for the drug. The company agrees to waive patents, but such a measure will be temporary and will last until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company representative stressed that while BioNTech is ready not to initiate lawsuits against those who try to “imitate” the drug.
Earlier it was reported that the European Union may be late with an order for the supply of 1.8 billion doses of vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech due to the failure to conclude an agreement by France. It is noted that the contract was supposed to be approved on April 30, but this did not happen. Western journalists have found that the blame lies, in particular, with Thierry Brenton, the internal market commissioner who also oversees vaccine policy in the EU.
