Will the SARS-CoV-2 origins debate fuel pandemic treaty talks?

Newsletter Edition #81 [The Weekly Primer]

Aug 17

Hi,

Come September, we will witness frenzied activity on the discussions around the proposed pandemic treaty in the run-up to the special session of the World Health Assembly later in the year that will consider the need for a new legal instrument.

Even as the virus-origins debate gains more political traction, we are beginning to see how this debate itself makes greater space, giving more legitimacy for a new international legal instrument to address future pandemics.

What will be interesting to witness in the coming months, is how the U.S., a leading opponent to the treaty idea, reconciles with the geopolitics and the science of the studies of the SARS-CoV-2 origin given its complicated relationship with China.

Talk to us, help us understand how science and politics will influence each other.

Do not miss our exclusive from last week, carefully reported by my colleague Rithika Sangameshwaran, one of the Fellows who joined us over the summer: Understanding Germany’s Trenchant Opposition To the TRIPS Waiver.

Finally, an announcement:
Running Geneva Health Files as a bootstrapping operation for more than a year has been challenging. While we are fully committed to serving our readers and this growing community we are truly proud of, we are a good distance away from minimum financial viability.
When we went paid in March 2021, we were hoping for a sustained increase of paying readers. This rate of conversion from free to paying readers, although encouraging, has not been adequate to cover our basic reporting costs. We do hope in the coming months, more readers will pay for comprehensive, consistent journalism.
In the meantime, we are kick-starting allied editorial activities that will contribute to our overall initiative and diversify our revenues.
Soon, I will be providing editorial advice to the Global Health Matters Podcast. We not only look forward to learning more about global health, but are also keen to understand the grammar of the audio format. In addition, this opportunity expands our skills, at a time when Geneva Health Files is also experimenting with a pilot podcast project to adapt our critical reporting into occasional audio stories.
We are happy that our editorial expertise is of use to the wider global health community. It also helps us raise revenues to keep this operation going – albeit under an additional workstream.
Write to us with any feedback and suggestions you may have.

Until later!

Best,

Priti

Feel free to write to us: patnaik.reporting@gmail.com or genevahealthfiles@protonmail.com; Follow us on Twitter: @filesgeneva

I. POLICY UPDATES

WHO Statement on advancing the next series of studies to find the origins of SARS-CoV-2

Last week, WHO articulated its determination in proceeding with virus-origins studies, in particular, the push to get access to the raw data from the earliest cases. This significant development, also gives an indication of changing geopolitics in global health and at WHO. The proposed second phase of these studies has already brought out sharp defenses by China.

Excerpts from WHO’s statement:

“WHO reiterates that the search for the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is not and should not be an exercise in attributing blame, finger-pointing or political point-scoring. It is vitally important to know how the COVID-19 pandemic began, to set an example for establishing the origins of all future animal-human spillover events.”
…. “Building on what has already been learned, the next series of studies would include a further examination of the raw data from the earliest cases and sera from potential early cases in 2019. Access to data is critically important for evolving our understanding of science and should not be politicised in any way.”
“The International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO, is a new advisory group for WHO, which will be responsible for advising WHO on the development of a global framework to systematically study the emergence of future emerging pathogens with pandemic potential. For SARS-CoV-2, it will support the rapid undertaking of recommended studies outlined in the March 2021 report.”
“China and a number of other Member States have written to WHO regarding the basis for further studies of the SARS-CoV-2 “lab hypothesis.” They have also suggested the origins study has been politicised, or that WHO has acted due to political pressure.”
“On review of the phase one study report, WHO determined that there was insufficient scientific evidence to rule any of the hypotheses out. Specifically, in order to address the “lab hypothesis,” it is important to have access to all data and consider scientific best practice and look at the mechanisms WHO already has in place. WHO is only focused on science, providing solutions and building solidarity.”

WHO

Keep in mind that member states will meet early September to discuss the need for an international instrument to prepare for pandemics. Among other features, some member states have also pushed for timely access to outbreak areas by an international team of scientists.

On this, also see:

Politico: Why the coronavirus lab leak theory won’t go away. The idea that the pandemic began in a laboratory has moved from fringe theory to mainstream.

Nature: Has COVID taught us anything about pandemic preparedness?

Foreign Affairs: The Right Way to Investigate the Origins of COVID-19

Credit: Photo by Rostislav Uzunov from Pexels

WHO’s Solidarity clinical trial enters a new phase with three new candidate drugs

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the next phase in its Solidarity trial: Solidarity PLUS will enroll hospitalized patients to test three new drugs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
These therapies - artesunate, imatinib and infliximab – were selected by an independent expert panel for their potential in reducing the risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. They are already used for other indications: artesunate is used for severe malaria, imatinib for certain cancers, and infliximab for diseases of the immune system such as Crohn’s Disease and rheumatoid arthritis.”
… “The Solidarity PLUS trial is a platform trial that represents the largest global collaboration among WHO Member States. It involves thousands of researchers in over 600 hospitals in 52 countries, 16 more countries than the first phase of trials. This allows the trial to assess multiple treatments at the same time using a single protocol, recruiting thousands of patients to generate robust estimates on the effect a drug may have on mortality--even moderate effects. It also allows new treatments to be added and ineffective treatments to be dropped throughout the course of the trial.”
“Previously, four drugs were evaluated by the trial. The results showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Through the Solidarity PLUS trial, researchers across the world have an opportunity to use their expertise and resources to contribute to global COVID-19 research.”
WHO

(The drugs - Artesunate: Produced by Ipca, is used to treat malaria; Imatinib: Produced by Novartis, is used to treat certain cancers'; Infliximab: Produced by Johnson and Johnson, is used to treat diseases of the immune system.)

Also see Science: A giant trial of COVID-19 treatments is restarting. Here are the drugs it’s betting on

ACT-Accelerator launches urgent US$ 7.7 billion appeal to stem surge of dangerous variants and save lives everywhere: WHO

“In addition to the US$ 7.7 billion appeal, there is an opportunity to reserve the supply of vaccines through exercising options in the fourth quarter of 2021 for 760 million doses of vaccine to be available in mid-2022 beyond the fully subsidised doses that COVAX will deliver up to the end of Q1 2022. Commitments to reserve these vaccine options in the last quarter of the year for delivery in the middle of 2022 can be made to Gavi/COVAX, as part of the ACT-A network of agencies.
Reserve vaccines: Reserve supply of 760 million doses of vaccine by exercising options in the final quarter this year to ensure there is continued supply available to make deliveries into 2022. Reserving doses requires contingent capital; on delivery these 760m doses will cost an additional US$ 3.8 billion.”
ACT A

Also see: ACT Accelerator: Quarterly Update Q2: 1 April - 30 June 2021

‘Fractionation’ Proposed to Address Vaccine Shortages, as Pharma Makes Case for Boosters: Health Policy Watch

Interim statement on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses: WHO

Digital technologies for health financing: what are the benefits and risks for UHC? WHO

A rebuttal from Gavi defending the COVAX machine

The Road to Getting Vaccines to the World in response to this story in the New York Times: Where a Vast Global Vaccination Program Went Wrong

In our modest opinion, not a great way to respond to criticism:

II. WHAT WE FOUND INTERESTING

NEWS:

My colleague Rithika has pulled this together for you:

The world is making billions of Covid vaccine doses, so why is Africa not getting them?: The Guardian
Covid Vaccines Produced in Africa Are Being Exported to Europe: The New York Times
Two decades of pandemic war games failed to account for Donald Trump: Nature
In Africa, a second effort to fight a third Covid wave: Politico
Rich nations dip into COVAX supply while poor wait for shots: AP News
Why There Should Be a Moratorium on COVID-19 Booster Shots Until Low-Income Countries Get Vaccinated: Time
FDA authorizes additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine for the immunocompromised: STAT
Moderna plans to open vaccine factories around the world, starting in Canada.: The New York Times
Chelsea Clinton urges global sharing of COVID vaccine technology: Nature
Drug Companies Are Putting Profits First While the Delta Variant Spreads. That Needs to Change.: Barron’s
Pfizer chief Albert Bourla: ‘We are the most efficient vaccine machine’: Financial Times
One-off tax on $5.5 trillion Covid profits of world’s richest would pay for world to be vaccinated and give unemployed $20k: Independent
A WHO official on why we need a global tech strategy to fight vaccine misinformation: STAT
How The Pandemic Now Ends: The Atlantic
The Forever Virus: Foreign Affairs
In new documentary, WHO scientist says Chinese officials pressured investigation to drop lab-leak hypothesis: The Washington Post
Biden Patent Office Pick Will Shape Fight Over High Drug Prices: Bloomberg
Commit India to build national health coverage: The Pioneer
Africa has been cropped out of the climate change debate: Financial Times

FROM THE JOURNALS/REPORTS

World Humanitarian Day: August 19
(See a recent update on COVAX Humanitarian buffer for vaccines)

IV. TWEET OF THE WEEK

KEI’s Thiru Balasubramaniam, a seasoned Geneva watcher, drew our attention to the IP Attaché Program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. His take on the expansion of the IP agenda in South Asia.