German government sources are reporting that the U.S. administration are attempting to bid for exclusive access to a potential COVID-19 vaccine currently being developed by German firm, CureVac.
The US admit they are talking to companies currently developing COVID-19 vaccines but deny they want to keep the product exclusively for the US market and state that “any solution found would be shared with the world.” Of course a wholly owned US company producing a vaccine for a virus with the potential to kill millions and devastate global economies would be in a position to name their own price.
The German newspaper Welt am Sonntag is reporting that Trump is hoping to relocate the company to the US but the Germans are making counter-offers to persuade them stay. A German Health Ministry spokeswoman has confirmed that “the government is in intensive exchange with the company CureVac” and that they are keen to ensure “that vaccines and active substances against the new coronavirus are also developed in Germany and Europe.”
CureVac’s main investor Dietmar Hopp has said that he’s not interested in selling and that he wants to develop a CureVac vaccine to “help people not just regionally but in solidarity across the world.”
The German government’s Coronavirus Crisis Committee are due to discuss the CureVac case on Monday.
The UK government will no doubt be observing events closely as UK/US post Brexit trade negotiations start to get underway.
