No secret deals with big pharma on COVID19 vaccines!
Boris Johnson
Oxford University scientists have developed a potential vaccine for COVID19 with the help of millions of pounds of UK taxpayer funds. It could save countless lives, but it has been handed over to the big pharma company AstraZeneca, and the deal they’ve signed is secret.
The Government needs to publish the AstraZeneca vaccine deal and prove they're putting patients before profits.
Today Boris Johnson is hosting a global summit to try to raise money for the vaccine the world is waiting for. But this important leadership is undermined by the UK’s decision to do shady deals with drug companies and their refusal to back a global plan that would prevent big pharma monopolies on coronavirus vaccines and treatments. Please tell the Prime Minister - we demand transparency and fairness!
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To:
Boris Johnson
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Boris Johnson,
Our NHS, and the whole world, is waiting for a COVID vaccine that could prevent countless deaths and help us all restart our lives. The UK has played a proud role in that effort, with scientists in publicly funded labs coming up with potential treatments and vaccines.
But one of the most promising vaccine candidates, developed at Oxford University, has been placed in the control of the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the terms of the deal are completely secret. There is a real risk that this could lead to a monopoly that undermines the global response by limiting supplies and leading to high prices that block access.
On 4th June, you hosted a global vaccine conference that will add many further billions of pounds in public funds to the billions already spent on coronavirus vaccine research. AstraZeneca have already stated that all of their costs will be covered by governments, but they still appear to have been given total control of the vaccine. They have made vague promises to make no profits from the vaccine during the pandemic. But we might need millions of doses annually for years to come. Who decides when the pandemic is over, and what happens to the price the NHS pays then? This deal should be made public and open to proper scrutiny.
We must act in collaboration and coordination if we are to overcome this pandemic. We cannot allow corporate monopolies to threaten that effort. But the UK has so far failed to support a World Health Organisation effort to prevent such monopolies. Please give UK backing for the WHO COVID Technology Pool and compel Oxford University and AstraZeneca to publish the agreement they have signed as the first step in reassuring the public that the government is putting NHS patients before the interests of private corporations.