French Pharma giant SANOFI will give the first doses of its new coronavirus vaccine to patients in the US according to its CEO.
This is because the US helped fund the vaccine’s development.
But Sanofi is a French firm and many of the scientists who work there were educated at French universities with money that was paid in by French taxpayers.
French politicians have lined up to say the vaccine should be distributed fairly around the world.
Will Bill Gates step in and resolve the situation?
President Trump has created a task force called Operation Warp Speed to stimulate the pharma industry, the government and the military in the hunt for a vaccine.
In the comment section of the business press there is a view that France did not invest in the vaccine so it should not complain about fair access.
Others are saying that of all the stimulus money that has been handed out in the last few weeks, surely some can be used to pay for the vaccine.
The fact that the US has taken the risk is justification for many that US gets priority access.
But as the US has the Federal Reserve, deep and liquid stock markets, and a huge Government budget, does this mean that America will always have priority access to new drugs?
And look at the US death rates for corona virus.
They are capitalising on the vaccine but death rates are enormous.
The regulatory framework in the US is more favourable for vaccine manufacturers as, since 1986, they cannot be prosecuted for harm.
Once favourable data has been collected, Sanofi could then market the vaccine in Europe and the rest of the world.
The firm in question SANOFI are not exactly angels either.
Their epilepsy drug sodium valproate was prescribed to women of child bearing age for many years and has caused enormous abnormalities in many of these women’s children.
Though SANOFI are being investigated by French prosecutors and Abbott, the US firm that manufactured the same drug, have been sued in the US — in the UK mothers and families affected by SANOFI’s valproate still await justice.
Many have been denied legal aid because the Legal Aid Agency decided they didn’t stand a high enough chance of winning their case.
A review is being conducted into drugs and medical devices by Baroness Cumberlege.
These include sodium valproate, primodos and vaginal / surgical mesh devices.
Cumberlege is a former Tory Health Minister and was appointed to head the review by then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
This is the evidence that was given by Emma Friedmann of FACSaware.
WARNING: this evidence is well presented but very disturbing.
Big pharma have enormous influence in Parliament and in Washington DC.
Let us see if they can do the right thing – when encouraged.
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