WTO chief welcomes Covid shot patent waiver plan, drugmakers balk

THE World Trade Organization praised a provisional deal to waive patent rights for Covid-19 vaccines after more than a year of deadlock, although drugmakers said the move risked undermining the industry’s ability to respond to future health crises.

The United States, the European Union, India and South Africa agreed on Tuesday on key elements for a waiver.

It now needs the backing of the 164 members of the WTO, which takes decisions based on consensus, so rejection by just one country could still block an accord.

“This is a major step forward,” WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said after Wednesday’s agreement was announced. “But we are not there yet. We have more work to do to ensure that we have the support of the entire WTO membership.”

If approved, the agreement would mean countries could permit domestic manufacturers to produce vaccines without patent-holder consent. But only developing countries accounting for less