COVID-19

On behalf of patients battling illnesses such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, genetic disorders, and antibiotic-resistant infections, we write to convey our profound opposition to recent actions supported by the Biden administration regarding intellectual property (IP) protections and express our concerns with potential actions that may further erode IP protections that are necessary to produce lifesaving medicines.

On behalf of the patients we serve who are living with HIV, hepatitis, cancer, lupus, autoimmune diseases, and other serious chronic and complex conditions, we write to share recommendations to address global COVID-19 vaccine equity and access barriers. While we commend the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Office of the United States Trade Representative for prioritizing efforts to improve vaccine access, it must not come at the expense of waiving intellectual property (IP) protections.  To do so would have unprecedented effects on future medical development.