Merkel opposes freezing patents for COVID-19 vaccines

Patent holders should be able to control the quality of vaccines, German chancellor says, removing patents won't make vaccines more affordable Pfizer PFE $39.51 +0.82% Buy

Suspension of patents that protect against copying technologies for creating vaccines against CORONAVIRUS infection covid-19 will not make these drugs more accessible, but may create new problems. This was stated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

According to her, such a decision will create "more risks than opportunities."

“I do not believe that abandoning patents is the solution that will make vaccines more accessible to more people,” said the Chancellor (quoted by REUTERS) and noted the importance of patent holders being able to control the quality of vaccines.

The chancellor paid special attention to the fact that lifting the US restrictions on the EXPORT of vaccines and their components to other countries would help increase the number of vaccinations.

“I would like to see that now that the general population of the United States has been vaccinated, there is a free exchange of components and the market is open,” she said.