The biopharma industry and academics who are developing vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat COVID-19 pushed back Thursday against calls from members of Congress for price controls on medical countermeasures.
生物製藥行業和正在開發預防和治療 COVID-19疫苗和療法的學者週四反駁了國會議員要求對醫療對策進行價格控制的呼籲。In a letter to President Donald Trump, 46 House Democrats asked him to 「ensure that any vaccine or treatment developed with U.S. taxpayer dollars be accessible, available, and affordable.」 They added that this goal 「cannot be met if pharmaceutical corporations are given authority to set prices and determine distribution, putting profit-making interests ahead of public health priorities.」在寫給唐納德 · 特朗普總統的一封信中，46名眾議院民主黨人要求他「確保用美國納稅人的錢開發的任何疫苗或治療都是可獲得的、可獲得的和可負擔的。」 他們補充說，「如果給予製藥公司制定價格和決定分配的權力，將盈利利益置於公共衛生優先事項之上，這個目標就無法實現。」BIO accused elected politicians of exploiting the outbreak to score political points, and PhRMA said the letter could deter companies from developing COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.Bio 指責當選政客利用疫情獲得政治加分，PhRMA 表示，這封信可能阻止公司開發 COVID-19疫苗和療法。
Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, suggested that the lack of economic incentives for industry investment is a bigger concern than pricing.
貝勒醫學院國家熱帶醫學院院長 Peter Hotez 認為，缺乏對產業投資的經濟激勵比價格更令人擔憂。The Democrats, including Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), called on HHS to avoid granting exclusive licenses to private manufacturers for COVID-19 vaccines or therapies. They also urged Trump to 「allow HHS to intervene if a manufacturer prices a COVID-19 vaccine or treatment at an excessive level.」民主黨人，包括眾議員揚 · 謝科夫斯基(民主黨參議員) 德克薩斯州勞埃德 · 道格特(Lloyd Doggett)呼籲衛生和公眾服務部避免向私營製造商授予 COVID-19疫苗或療法的獨家許可。 他們還敦促特朗普「允許衛生和公眾服務部在製造商將 COVID-19疫苗或治療定價過高時進行幹預。」PhRMA rejected the call to avoid exclusive licenses. 「Current law permits exclusive licenses to be granted only when NIH determines the license is necessary to develop, manufacture and bring a product to market,」 said Holly Campbell, deputy VP for public affairs at PhRMA. 「Obstructing that process does a disservice to Americans and people around the world who could benefit from new treatments or vaccines.」為了避免獨佔許可，PhRMA 拒絕了這個要求。 美國藥品研究與製造商協會負責公共事務的副副總裁霍利 · 坎貝爾說: 「現行法律只允許在國家衛生研究院確定發放許可證是開發、製造和將產品推向市場所必需的情況下，才授予排他。 「阻礙這一過程對美國人和世界各地那些可以從新療法或疫苗中受益的人來說是一種傷害。」PHARMA DETERRED BY LACK OF RETURN
製藥公司因缺乏回報而望而卻步
While the goal of ensuring access and affordability are laudable, the letter is aiming at the wrong problem, Hotez told BioCentury. He co-directs the Texas Children』s Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor, which is developing vaccines to protect against COVID-19, SARS and several neglected tropical diseases.霍特茲告訴《生活世界》雜誌，雖然確保獲取和負擔能力的目標值得稱讚，但這封信針對的是錯誤的問題。 他是貝勒大學德克薩斯兒童疫苗開發中心的共同主任，該中心正在開發預防 COVID-19、 SARS 和幾種被忽視的熱帶病的疫苗。Hotez agreed with congressional Democrats that 「any coronavirus vaccine should be made available at an affordable price.」霍特茲同意國會民主黨人的觀點，「任何冠狀病毒疫苗都應該以可承受的價格提供。」He added that 「the real problem is that industry is mostly holding back from developing vaccines for neglected and emerging diseases, leaving it to smaller biotechs and academic-based product development partnerships like our Texas Children』s Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine to carry the burden.」他補充說，「真正的問題是，工業界大多不願開發針對被忽視和新出現的疾病的疫苗，而是讓規模較小的生物技術公司和以學術為基礎的產品開發合作夥伴，如我們在貝勒醫學院的德克薩斯兒童疫苗開發中心來承擔這一負擔。」
Two pharmas, Johnson Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NASDAQ:SNY), have started COVID-19 development programs .兩家製藥公司，強生公司和賽諾菲公司已經開始了 COVID-19的研發項目(見「賽諾菲公司與巴爾達公司的疫苗競賽」)。The response to COVID-19 is an exception. The largest biopharmas, Hotez said, have been reluctant to invest in vaccine development for neglected diseases and emerging pathogens.對 COVID-19的反應是一個例外。 說，最大的生物製藥公司一直不願意投資被忽視的熱帶病和新興病原體的疫苗開發。「In some respects the letter reflects a broader misunderstanding about vaccines for these diseases,」 Hotez said. 「Except for a few committed non-profit organizations like ours driven by humanitarian goals, or biotechs using this an opportunity to get their platform technologies into the clinic so they can later license profit making vaccines, there』s actually not much interest」 in developing vaccines for neglected diseases and outbreaks like MERS, SARS and Zika.霍特茲說: 「從某些方面來說，這封信反映了對這些疾病疫苗的廣泛誤解。」。 除了一些像我們這樣出於人道主義目的的非盈利組織，或者生物技術公司利用這個機會將他們的平臺技術引入診所，以便他們以後可以獲得營利性疫苗的許可，實際上沒有太多的興趣去開發應對中東呼吸綜合症、非典和寨卡病毒等被忽視的熱帶病和疫情的疫苗。
SEEKING 「GUARDRAILS」
尋找「護欄」The congressional Democrats singled out an HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) partnership with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN).國會民主黨人特別提到了 HHS 生物醫學高級研究和發展管理局與 Regeneron Pharmaceuticals inc. (NASDAQ: REGN)的合作關係。The letter, which echoed a report issued Wednesday by Public Citizen, said that the federal government has funded Regeneron』s coronavirus RD and stated that 「there must be guardrails in place to prevent Regeneron from monopolizing the medicine and maximizing profits.」這封信與「公眾公民」(Public Citizen)週三發布的一份報告相呼應，稱聯邦政府為「再生元」的冠狀病毒研發提供了資金，並稱「必須設置防護欄，防止再生元壟斷藥品，實現利潤最大化」BARDA has agreed to fund 80% of RD and manufacturing costs for promising treatments developed by Regeneron, which is developing mAbs to neutralize the virus.
Christos Kyratsous, Regeneron』s VP of research for infectious diseases and viral vector technologies, told BioCentury last week that the company had started COVID-19 mAb discovery activities with DNA segments of the virus, created pseudo-particles for testing purposes, and was immunizing mice that have been genetically engineered to generate immune responses.Regeneron 公司負責傳染病和病毒載體技術研究的副總裁 Christos Kyratsous 上週告訴 BioCentury，該公司已經開始利用病毒的 DNA 片段開展 COVID-19單抗的發現活動，為測試目的創造了偽顆粒，並且為產生免疫反應進行了基因工程的小鼠免疫。Regeneron provided BioCentury a statement in response to the congressional letter. The company said its 「focus first and foremost is on doing the right thing for patients. For infectious diseases, we are particularly motivated by the public good, as we apply our unique scientific expertise, talent and technologies.」Regeneron 向 BioCentury 提供了一份聲明，以回應國會的信件。 該公司表示，其「首要關注點是為病人做正確的事情。 對於傳染病來說，我們尤其受到公共利益的激勵，因為我們運用了我們獨特的科學專業知識、人才和技術Regeneron said its scientists were working 「around the clock」 on COVID-19 therapies, and that the company is 「committed to ensuring any potential medicines reach patients in need around the globe."Regeneron 表示，其科學家正在「晝夜不停地」研究 COVID-19療法，該公司「致力於確保全球有需要的患者能夠獲得任何潛在的藥物。」
BIO EVP for public affairs Rich Masters blasted the congressional letter, telling BioCentury that 「hundreds of scientists at companies large and small are working around the clock to develop vaccines and antiviral therapies to address the coronavirus.」Bio EVP for public affairs 裏奇 · 馬斯特斯(Rich Masters)對國會的這封信進行了猛烈抨擊，他告訴 BioCentury，「大大小小公司的數百名科學家正在夜以繼日地開發疫苗和抗病毒藥物，以應對這種冠狀病毒。」He said members of Congress who signed the letter were 「demoralizing the men and women on the frontlines trying to get medical innovations to the people whose lives depend on them," and, citing industry collaborations with NGOs and government agencies, suggested that Congress 「should be focused on how they can best support and encourage these efforts.」他說，簽署這封信的國會議員「讓前線的男男女女士氣低落，他們試圖把醫療創新帶給那些生活依賴於他們的人們」。他還援引了行業與非政府組織和政府機構的合作，建議國會「應該把重點放在如何最好地支持和鼓勵這些努力上」PhRMA also reacted strongly.Phrma 也反應強烈。Campbell highlighted the "enormous upfront costs and risks associated with vaccine development" and said "the signers of this letter could prevent a vaccine, therapy or cure for coronavirus from ever reaching patients."坎貝爾強調了「與疫苗開發相關的巨大前期成本和風險」 ，並表示「這封信的簽名者可能會阻止冠狀病毒的疫苗、治療或治癒到達病人手中。」
