WHAT GOES up must come down.Everyone understands that. Businesses know that only too well, because most industries face market cycles. Not the pharmaceutical industry, though, which is insulated from these highs and lows because demand for medicines never goes down, whether the economy shrinks or expands. Now, as the panic and scramble for vaccines becomes a dark memory, Big Pharma is learning how unsustainable its pandemic high of soaring profits was. With projected offtake tapering off sharply since early 2022, especially in the US, a clutch of drug giants is seeing revenues drop by over 40 per cent. These figures reflect poorly on their role during the coVID-19 pandemic, when profits mattered much, much more than patients.
The pandemic years were marked by one of the biggest tussles between rich and developing countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over intellectual property rights (IPRS). Why IPRS? Because IPRS, which include patents and trade secrets, had a direct bearing on the ability of the world to meet the demand for desperately needed vaccines and therapeutics to fight COVID-19 through a host of generic companies if they were allowed to override patents during the pandemic. This column covered the issue extensively and predicted from the start that it was a lost cause. The US and the EU, where the vaccines to fight COVID-19 were developed, would not allow even a temporary waiver because of the powerful lobby of Big Pharma (see "Compromise' on TRIPS waiver is a sellout', Down To Earth, 1-15 April, 2022).
This story is from the November 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
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This story is from the November 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
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Vision 2030
Economic growth must take into account needs of energy transition, climate mitigation, with action aligned as per India's 2030 climate goals
FIX OUR FOOD
Chemical-dependent farming, lax labelling laws, rising anti-microbial resistance must top the agenda
BATTLE THE CAR BULGE
Clean, affordable, integrated and accessible public transport the only solution
CONSERVE NOW
Disregard for biodiversity conservation over the past two decades needs immediate redressal
SCRAP THE DUMP
Disincentivise garbage dumping, invest in behavioural change
PLAN THEM COOL
As urban India turns into a heat trap, the government must focus on improving cities' liveability
THINK LONG-TERM
India needs continued emphasis on flagship programmes, aligned to long-term planning that focusses on water security and circular economy in a climate-risked era
OVERHAUL OVERDUE
Hold polluting industries accountable for public health risks, environmental hazards, climate change; provide them support for green transition
LOOK BEYOND DUST
Reinvent National Clean Air Programme to focus on fine particulate matter and trans-boundary pollution
IT'S NOW OR NEVER
Clean energy sectors need demand-driven markets and domestic industries that can cater to the entire value chain