Frank Samolis

Frank Samolis

Waiving patent rights will make us less prepared for the next pandemic

Spread the love
By Frank Samolis
The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently released the text of a proposal to suspend patents on COVID-19 vaccines. All WTO members will vote on the proposal in June.
The text won’t take effect unless all 164 members sign on. But if it is approved, companies in developing nations will be allowed to use medical technology from U.S. companies and inventors without their consent or supervision.

FrankSamolis

Frank Samolis

Waiving patent rights would hurt not only the American companies that developed COVID-19 vaccines, but the biopharmaceutical sector, medical innovation, and the U.S. economy as a whole. And invalidating intellectual property rights would fail to address the real problem that waiver advocates say they want to fix: low vaccination rates in the developing world.
The governments of India and South Africa, which first petitioned the WTO for a patent waiver in 2020, insist that suspending intellectual property rights will boost manufacturing and thus get more shots into arms. That simply isn’t true.
According to the analytics firm Airfinity, about 12 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered to date, and global production capacity for 2022 is 20 billion.  That’s more than four doses for every person on the planet.
Doses are piling up unused. In February, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stopped accepting vaccine donations, as its stockpiles are full and excess supply could expire. India’s largest drug manufacturer, the Serum Institute, has 200 million doses stockpiled and has ceased production until new orders come in.
The problem is not production — it’s distribution. Some of the actual challenges hampering vaccine distribution are public skepticism and lack of infrastructure. Well-executed foreign aid could help expand access.
But we won’t solve any of these challenges by upending intellectual property rights. To the contrary, doing so would undermine global public health for decades to come.
At the simplest level, a patent protects an inventor’s right to make and sell her product for a set period of time. A patent doesn’t guarantee business success; rather, it encourages inventors to risk time and money on developing products that may or may not prove successful.
America’s robust intellectual property protections are the reason so much innovation takes place in the United States. Notably, strong intellectual property laws encouraged years of research into messenger RNA, the technology underlying the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
If we cancel vaccine patents, we won’t just punish the companies that delivered these life-saving inoculations. We’ll also undercut the small biotech firms that licensed their groundbreaking tech to these larger, vaccine-producing behemoths. And we’ll slash investment into drug development as a whole.
Before entering an international agreement to waive patent rights, the Biden Administration should consult with Congress and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the agency charged with protecting intellectual property. Previous directors of the USPTO — from the Obama and Trump Administrations — have spoken out strongly against the patent waiver.
Some of those pushing for a patent waiver may genuinely want to increase vaccine access and improve global public health. But if the current proposal becomes international law, it will distract from real solutions. And it will undermine our ability to fight disease in the future.
Frank Samolis, an attorney, is a partner and co-chair of the International Trade Practice at Squire Patton Boggs. Previously, Frank was counsel to the Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means, US House of Representatives. The views expressed here are his own. This piece originally ran in the Detroit News.

Local News

Marist is sending 11 wrestlers to the IHSA state meet Thursday. Photo by Marist High School

Area Sports Roundup: Marist leads way with 11 wrestlers heading to state

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer An army of area wrestlers is headed to the state tournament, with 49 set to hit the mat in Champaign. During sectional action on Feb. 12, area wrestlers feasted on opponents. Marist will send 11 to the tournament, which begins Thursday at State Farm Center on the University…

Peggy Zabicki

Paczki Day ahead, not behind

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 If you read my column online last week, you might remember my reference to Paczki Day. I thought it took place on Feb. 9. I was shopping at a Jewel outside our neighborhood around that date, and I asked…

Sedgwick Reavers 

Man charged in string of armed robberies in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged in a string of armed robberies that took place in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and other communities. He was charged February 2 for the December 28 robbery of the Shell station at 12121 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights. Palos Heights police…

ShawnTe Raines-Welch  

Campaign 2020: Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch to seek judgeship  

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Ray Hanania   Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch has announced her candidacy for one of two vacancies for judge in Cook County’s 4th Subcircuit in the June 28 primary election. Raines-Welch specializes in legal work for municipal governments, including cities, school districts, park districts and other local taxpayer-funded public bodies at an established…

U.S. Rep. Marie Newman

Campaign 2020: 11 elected officials endorse Newman in primary 

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong   Marie Newman’s bid to win the Democratic nomination in the new 6th Congressional District picked up steam Tuesday when 11 elected officials in Cook and DuPage counties announced they were endorsing her in the June primary over fellow incumbent Sean Casten. “Congresswoman Marie Newman has been a very strong and effective…

biz royalberry signage

Owner dispels rumors of Royalberry closing 

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong  Frank Salman, owner of Royalberry Waffle House and Restaurant in Palos Heights, has a simple message:  “We’re not closed!”  Salman said rumors have been rampant in the area that his restaurant of 17 years suddenly closed at the corner of 127th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.  “We are not closed. We are…

Among those at the Valentine Small Business Vender Pop-Up at the Monarca Event Room, 3300 W. 63rd St., were Brian and Alma Cabrales from Velia Bath Bombs, St. Nick’s Girl Scouts Lia Garcia and Layla Burns, Scout Mom Jennifer Burns, and Adriana Cardona from D Colores Accessories. --Greater Southwest News-Herald photo by Kathy Headley

Things were poppin’ at Valentine’s event

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last Saturday I stopped in at the Valentine Small Business Pop-Up at Monarca, on the northwest corner of 63rd and Spaulding. I really enjoy these events. I always walk out spending more than I planned, this…

Joan Hadac

The next correspondent could be you

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac GSWNH Columnist At-Large This week, it’s my privilege and pleasure to write the Greater Southwest News-Herald’s column for Greater Ashburn (the Wrightwood, Ashburn, Parkview and Scottsdale neighborhoods). Greater Ashburn has not had a correspondent in this newspaper since Carolina Franco stepped away from writing this column back in late 2019. Anyway,…

Fikri Rahana, owner of 7-Eleven in Palos Heights, sold a $900,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket. (Photo supplied by Illinois Lottery)

$900,000 Lotto ticket sold at Palos Heights 7-Eleven

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Local Lucky Day Lotto players best check their tickets for last Sunday’s mid-day drawing. A winning ticket worth $900,000 was sold at the Palos Heights 7-Eleven store. The winning ticket was sold at the store at 6350 W. 135th St., and matched all five numbers in Sunday mid-day’s drawing: 11-13-24-30-37.…

seatgeek-sign-photo-3-14

Bridgeview inks deal to promote village events, tourism

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Bridgeview is again partnering with the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau to market and promote tourism in the village. The village board, by a 6-0 vote at its Jan. 19 meeting, approved the resolution. Per the resolution, the bureau will “help market and promote the region for conventions, meetings,…

Neighbors

greater chicago food depository

Township of Lyons donates $10,000 to help food pantries

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The Township of Lyons board was in a giving mood at its most recent meeting. The board approved sponsorships and donations totaling $12,250. The largest donation was $10,000. It went to the Greater Chicago Food Depository which runs 12 monthly mobile food pantries in the township each year. Supervisor Christopher…

Tina Grotzke chats with Countryside Mayor Sean McDermott after he presented her a certificate of appreciation for her 20 years on the zoning board. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Countryside zoning commissioner honored for 20 years on board

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch For the past 20 years, Tina Grotzke has had a say-so in every development that’s come to Countryside. Grotzke was appointed to another term on the city’s the plan commission zoning board of appeals during the city council’s meeting on June 12. Mayor Sean McDermott noted Grotzke’s two decades of…

Dr. Blair Nuccio

Nuccio bids farewell to Indian Springs SD 109

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan After 25 years of serving the area, 22 of those at Indian Springs School District 109, Dr. Blair Nuccio is set to retire. Dr. Nuccio was the assistant superintendent at District 109 before becoming superintendent in July of 2017. Prior to that, he spent three years as the superintendent at…

Dario Lemus, Jr., of Lyons, demonstrates the moves that helped him become an Illinois Junior Olympic boxing champ. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

A real knockout

Spread the love

Spread the loveLyons boy, 10, heads to boxing nationals By Steve Metsch Dario Lemus Jr., has yet to knock out an opponent in the boxing ring. Give him time. After all, the 10-year-old Lyons boy has only been boxing for 18 months. “I’ve dropped two kids, but not like a knockout,” Dario said with a…

The Qahwa coffee house is now open in Bridgeview. (Photo by Nuha Abdessalam)

New Middle Eastern coffee shop opens next to Bridgeview courthouse

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Coffee connoisseurs take heart, Bridgeview Court Plaza’s newest addition, The Qahwa, is now open. Prepare to be captivated by a truly unique Middle Eastern coffee experience, nestled in the heart of Bridgeview’s “Little Palestine.” The Qahwa, with its one-of-a-kind Middle Eastern coffee blends and inviting atmosphere, is a haven for…

Kathy Headley

Temps were hot, but golfers were cool

Spread the love

Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . The weekend of June 22/23 started with temps in the 90s, a high humidity both days and the threat of rain loomed throughout the weekend as well. This is not unusual for the third week…

Shriners entertain the crowd at last year's Oak Lawn Independence Day Parade. (File photo)

Oak Lawn Fourth of July festivities

Spread the love

Spread the loveCelebrate Independence Day at the Village of Oak Lawn’s annual Fourth of July Parade at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 29! This cherished community event brings together families, friends, and neighbors to honor the spirit of freedom and patriotism. Parade will step off at 95th Street and Lacrosse and head west on 95th…

Mary Pat Carr

District 230 names Director of Safety and Security 

Spread the love

Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education approved Dr. Mary Pat Carr as the district’s first Director of Security. She will move from her current position as Assistant Principal of Activities at Stagg High School to the Administrative Center on July 1. Her duties as Director of Safety…

The Worth Public Library, 6917 W. 111th St., hosted its annual celebration on June 1 to bring patrons of all ages out to sign up for its summer reading program. (Supplied photos)

Worth Public Library kicks off summer reading program

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Kelly White Patrons at the Worth Public Library welcomed in the summer season earlier this month. The library, 6917 W. 111th St., hosted its annual celebration on June 1 to bring patrons of all ages out to sign up for its summer reading program. “We love any excuse to celebrate reading with…

Fire hoses line the parking lot outside of the UFC Gym last Thursday. (Supplied photos)

Fire knocks out Orland’s UFC Gym

Spread the love

Spread the loveFrom staff reports A fire last Thursday afternoon practically destroyed an Orland Park gym and knocked out neighboring businesses, as well. Orland Park firefighters received a call at 2:31 p.m. June 20 for a reported fire in the UFC Gym located at 66 Orland Square Drive Unit C. Multiple 911 calls were received for a…