Indonesia’s reaction to “unfair mechanism” within H5N1 vaccine development is supported by WHO health experts.

Health experts attending the WHO’s Avian Influenza meeting, hosted by the Turkish government, agreed upon the need for developing countries to have greater access to H5NI vaccines. This stance comes in the wake of Indonesia’s recent decision to withhold from sharing its H5N1 samples with the WHO because of fear that they will be used for the commercial development of patented vaccines too expensive for developing countries to obtain. Under the current voluntary system, “countries submit virus samples to the four centers for collaboration on research on influenza under WHO (located in Tokyo, Melbourne, London and Atlanta) … (where) these samples are available free to any company interested in using them to develop vaccines.” (Intellectual Property Watch). The issue highlights the debate around intellectual property, and particularly the campaigning by some developing countries for an amendment to the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to require prior permission from the country before companies can patent vaccines. Indonesia’s actions have also brought to the forefront the need for an international environment that facilitates and increases the vaccine production capacity (a goal explicitly stated in the Global pandemic influenza Action Plan, 2006).

While Indonesia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US pharmaceutical company, Baxter, it has also resumed its supply of virus samples to the WHO. According to recent reports the WHO has stated that worldwide “16 manufacturers from 10 countries are developing prototype influenza vaccines against H5N1 avian influenza virus, and more than 40 clinical trials have been completed or are ongoing” (Intellectual Property Watch).

Sources and other Information:

Intellectual Property Watch: http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=562&res=1024&print=0

WHO and Indonesia Joint Statement: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2007/s02/en/index.html

WHO: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np13/en/index.html

Reuters: http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Bird-flu-experts-back-calls-on-vaccine/2007/03/20/1174153038663.html