Covid-19 vaccine makers have dialed up lobbying and public-relations efforts to rally opposition to a proposal to temporarily waive their patents.Since the Biden administration threw its support behind the waiver proposal early this month, pharmaceutical industry trade groups have been moving to support Germany, Japan and other countries that expressed opposition, people familiar with the lobbying said.
The industry lobbyists have told the governments, in meetings and phone calls, that a waiver wouldn’t address shortages any time soon, while straining raw material supplies, the people said.Vaccine makers have also rolled out pledges to deliver more doses to developing countries, which have pressed for the waiver.Industry lobbyists have met.