Global research is on corona vaccination, with Lonza Switzerland could be the source. Nevertheless, there is a fear that the United States would be preferred in terms of distribution. The most important questions and answers.
Updated 1 hour ago—
Keep an eye on the “end product”, not the “component”: Federal Councilor Alain Berset, right, and Daniel Koch, BAG delegate for Covid-19, before a media conference in Bern.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Why is the whole world suddenly talking about a vaccine? When will it be available?
Realization is still a long way off. According to the plans of the leading pharmaceutical companies, a vaccine against Covid-19 could at best be available in early 2021. The vaccine issue has been very popular in the media for a few days because the American biotechnology company Moderna has announced that the first attempts with vaccines have been positive. The few test subjects tolerated the vaccine well and produced antibodies against it. Further attempts are pending. At the beginning of May it became known that Moderna and the Swiss pharmaceutical supplier Lonza had entered into a ten-year partnership. Lonza provides the Moderna with the active ingredient for vaccination. Technology transfer starts in June.
Lonza is a Swiss company in the race for a vaccine against the Corona virus. Are we not at the source?
No. Lonza will not own the vaccine, but will only provide an important ingredient. This Lonza CEO Albert Baehny said in an interview with this newspaper. The decision about the distribution of the finished vaccine lies with Moderna – and ultimately with the American state. Because this supports Moderna in the development with 500 million dollars. In addition, former Lonza and Moderna board member Marcel Slaoui has been appointed head of the US vaccine procurement agency. “His focus is on North America, that’s for sure,” says Baehny. The American population would therefore have priority. But Moderna and Lonza are not the only companies that are working on a vaccine. There are around 120 development projects worldwide. Small, large, state or private companies are working on it, also in Switzerland.
Can’t a Swiss company be obliged to sell such an important product in Switzerland first?
No, that would contradict economic and trade freedom. And in the longer term, an emergency rights regime cannot be maintained. It would also inhibit the competitiveness and performance of the companies involved: cooperation between companies that mutually benefit from the transfer of knowledge and technology accelerates success. Politicians have a say when it comes to licensing or patenting.
We need the finished vaccine. A mere component is of no use to us. »
What is the Federal Council doing to provide Switzerland with a corona vaccine?
The interior department and the defense department have given the order to negotiate with different manufacturers. First of all, one has to evaluate which of the many candidates are the hope, with which the federal government could work, health minister Alain Berset told the media on Wednesday. The Federal Council expects the cost of the necessary vaccine doses to be around CHF 300 million. Berset said of the fears that the Swiss population might be left empty-handed in view of the Moderna Lonza deal: “We are interested in the end product. We need a finished vaccine that protects people. A mere component of the vaccine is of no use to us. » In other words, Lonza doesn’t produce the finished vaccine we need anyway. So we keep our eyes open otherwise. But talks would also continue with the Basler Group, said Berset. In addition, the Federal Council has been dealing with the vaccination question for months.
And what about other countries that have fewer resources?
Daniel Koch, responsible for Covid at the Federal Office of Public Health, said: «It is always the same principle. You negotiate with the manufacturers. The manufacturers see that there is a certain distribution. » According to Koch, the global community will certainly do everything possible to ensure that as much as possible is produced everywhere and that any shortage is only temporary. One is also trying to achieve the best possible justice with the World Health Organization WHO. “That worked well last time with the pandemic vaccine. I am confident.”
The world community will do everything to achieve justice. »
Posted at 8:11 AM today-
