Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning.
My remarks will focus on COVID-19 vaccines as they relate to research and development and manufacturing.
I am an associate professor in Carleton University's School of Public Policy and Administration. My research focuses on the political economy of the pharmaceutical sector. I have more than 150 publications to my credit, ranging from scholarly articles, book chapters and research papers to technical reports and professional publications. Apart from my role in 2020 as an expert witness for Justice Canada in a Superior Court of Québec case involving the regulation of patented medicine prices, I have no conflict of interest to disclose.
When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, it was impressive to see researchers around the world apply the principles of open science and work together to systematically share data, primarily to sequence the viral genome, monitor the virus's evolution and variations, and produce protective and screening equipment.
In March 2020, the Canadian government passed an act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19, or Bill C-13. Under the legislation, compulsory licensing was permitted for a period of six months in relation to any technology that could play a role in the response to COVID-19, the idea being to overcome potential shortages. The provision was not renewed in September 2020, but the federal government can do so at any time, as needed.
In May 2020, the World Health Organization, or WHO, launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, or C-TAP, based on the principles of open science. The purpose of the pool was to support the sharing of technological knowledge and know-how relevant to the fight against COVID-19. In addition, the Medicines Patent Pool, MPP, funded by Unitaid, expanded its mandate to facilitate the sharing of health technology patents that could contribute to the response to COVID-19.
In the beginning, technological co-operation and data sharing were thought to be guiding the global scientific effort, to help each country maximize its COVID-19 response. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and private science, patents and monopolies on technology quickly prevailed. To date, no company has agreed to share its technology with C-TAP or MPP. Instead, each firm is working behind closed doors to maximize future revenues.
Even though governments invested more than $14 billion in the development of vaccines, the private sector's total monopoly over the vaccines continues to go unquestioned. For example, even though Moderna's vaccine was fully funded through public investment, the company has a monopoly on the vaccine because it owns the patent. Moderna is also charging the highest price of any of the vaccine makers, garnering it the Shkreli Award, a prize handed out every year to the worst profiteers in health care.
On its end, Canada launched the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force in the summer of 2020, to provide the government with strategic advice on vaccine matters. The lack of transparency around the task force and the conflicts of interest related to its members have been decried by numerous experts. Microbiologist Gary Kobinger even resigned from the task force in protest. In its recommendations, the task force seems to have put companies' proprietary rights above overall public health needs.
That has given rise to the current reality: countries tripping over one another for first access to vaccines. Every country is trying to convince vaccine makers to sell it doses over the country next door, and to deliver those doses as soon as possible. Forget about global public health priorities; it's every country for itself. Welcome to vaccine nationalism.
Canada plays a pretty good game of vaccine nationalism, mind you. Canada is the country that secured the largest number of doses, equivalent to 500% of what it actually needs. Under the current agreements, Canada should be one of the first countries to achieve herd immunity through vaccination.
Although Canada has a flair for vaccine nationalism, the game, itself, is extremely problematic. The production delays at Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca have created tremendous international tensions. Instead of working together to produce the most vaccines possible, countries are working against one another, letting vaccine makers' priorities dictate the global distribution of vaccines.
Canada has the capacity to produce vaccines, so why is it not leveraging that capacity to help fight COVID-19?
Countries such as India and South Africa are calling on the World Trade Organization to suspend intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 technologies, to facilitate knowledge sharing and increase vaccine production during the pandemic. Nevertheless, Canada, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are categorically opposed to the suspension of those rights. In many ways, it appears that Canada has chosen to be part of the problem, instead of the solution.
I would be happy to answer any questions you have.