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A Cuban COVID vaccine in the works! This is fascinating, and worth a short thread. https://www.dw.com/es/ong-europea-podr%C3%ADa-financiar-vacuna-cubana-contra-covid-19/a-55598599
I wrote about the science, economics and geopolitics that make this possible in my (2010) book, The Cuban Cure: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuban-Cure-Reason-Resistance-Science/dp/0226709175
The book shows how Cuban medical science is able to:
(1) Expand the risk envelope (precisely what private finance, or even ODA, cannot do as well for vaccine research, absent the limited reach of AMCs etc (which organisations like @cepi recognise and @MSFAccess have long argued
(1) Expand the risk envelope (precisely what private finance, or even ODA, cannot do as well for vaccine research, absent the limited reach of AMCs etc (which organisations like @cepi recognise and @MSFAccess have long argued
(2)Make effective use of state entrepreneurialism (an idea that gained traction when explored in @MazzucatoM's brilliant (2014) book The Entrepreneurial State) and target innovation towards social need. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141986107?pf_rd_r=ZFJ8K6EAFMPXY6F9VJEV&pf_rd_p=6e878984-68d5-4fd2-b7b3-7bc79d9c8b60
(3) Work innovatively (and freely) in the cracks between the constraints imposed by state socialism and global capitalism alike (not least with respect to global IPR regimes and big Pharma).
My work – way back then – examined cancer therapeutics and a Hep B vaccine: see the recent PBS documentary that I helped advise on (see also brilliant work by Jens Plahte): https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/cubas-cancer-hope/
In fact these same lessons apply still today, and they apply not least to the politics of creating a COVID vaccine: Why? At least three reasons:
(1) If a vaccine candidate proves viable in Cuba it would make a mockery of the prices being charged by Pfizer (on which see also this brilliant article by @KStoreng (aka, of course, the wonderful Mrs RH). https://www.internationalhealthpolicies.org/featured-article/why-does-pfizer-deny-the-public-investment-in-its-covid-19-vaccine/
2. Because one vaccine is not enough. Cuba is a poor country developing its *own* vaccine candidate, not testing those from the North. It opens the door to more niche vaccines (the “first to market” will not necessarily be the best, and will never be the best in all cases).
(For example, one of Cuba’s candidates is a needleless vaccine, making it more appropriate to deliver in remote areas or where. This will be critical in reaching all people, not just rich northern city dwellers. See also here: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-vaccine-cuba-focus-idUKKBN27S1OZ
It tells you that the Cubans are thinking longer term and in terms of social needs. That’s what all Covid vaccine developers should be doing. Sadly, not all are. (Hello @BioNTech_Group - I'm looking at you).
3. As pointed out, by @Jayati1609 among others, rich countries had bought up 80% of Pfizer's production capacity before it was even in production. Efforts by countries such as Cuba will be critical to filling the supply gap in poorer countries.
And because they wont be bound to the same IP agreements, most likely they will begin and remain more affordable too.
Win win. Good science. Fairly distributed.
Win win. Good science. Fairly distributed.
