By Aparajita Lath
Two articles published last month in the BMJ analyze the public investment and financing of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting the extensive government funding that has supported the development of mRNA technology from 1985 to 2022.
However, rewards from these government investments are going back into the hands of pharma corporations and shareholders, with little thought given to public needs.
Together, these articles underscore the injustice of the present moment and emphasize the need to reform intellectual property protections for government-funded inventions of public health significance.