#PeoplesVaccine

“The Boston-based biotech’s coronavirus vaccine revenue forecast is far higher than the $11.2bn analysts had predicted for 2021, as well as the $15bn that Pfizer said it expected when it reported earnings this month. Moderna said this number could rise because it was in discussions with governments about more vaccine orders for 2021 and 2022, as well as Covax, the vaccination programme for the developing world. Shares rose more than 8 per cent to $157.12 in early trading in New York.  Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive, said 2021 would be an “inflection year” for the company.

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In the fourth quarter, Moderna reported revenue of $571m, from US government grants and sales of its Covid-19 vaccine after it became available in the US in December. The company’s net loss of $272m was wider than the $123m for the same period the year before.

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Moderna also raised its minimum production for the year to 700m doses, up from 600m, while keeping the upper end of its target at 1bn. The company is expanding manufacturing for next year, to produce up to 1.4bn doses — and possibly more if it ends up giving half-doses as boosters. It expects $350m to $400m in capital expenditure in 2021.”

CNBC

‘The White House is considering whether to lift intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines, sources say, which would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines

• The White House is weighing whether to temporarily lift intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
• The move would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines.
• Concerns have grown about the fact that the U.S. and a handful of other wealthy countries hold the right to a disproportionate amount of the global supply.

A temporary suspension of intellectual property protections would apply to all medical technologies to treat or prevent Covid-19. South Africa and India made a formal request to the World Trade Organization to waive the protections until the pandemic is over, but the issue was tabled without a resolution.

The White House convened a meeting of deputy-level policymakers on March 22, a senior administration official said, but they reached no final decision.

The White House’s review comes in response to a letter sent in late March by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urging the administration to study the issue after several Democratic colleagues — including Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois — brought it to her attention. The letter has not been released to the public. But a senior aide said Pelosi supports the position of her members, who are in favor of issuing such a waiver, even on a temporary basis.

“The view is ‘We’re not safe until the world is safe,’” one of the sources said of the support from progressives on Capitol Hill.’