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WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative
Katherine Tai discussed increasing COVID-19 vaccine production
in a virtual meeting on Tuesday with an executive with drugmaker
Novavax, Tai's office said in a statement.
Tai and Novavax Executive Vice President John Trizzino also
discussed a proposal before the World Trade Organization to
waive certain intellectual property rights in response to the
coronavirus pandemic, the USTR statement said.
"Ambassador Tai sought Mr. Trizzino’s views on steps Novavax
is taking to quickly increase equitable production and
distribution of vaccines in the United States and around the
world," the statement said.
Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine is not currently authorized for
use in the United States.
WTO members are due to discuss a proposal by India and South
Africa to waive certain provisions of the WTO's Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights on April
30, but the United States and a few other big countries have
blocked such a move.
Democratic lawmakers, civil society groups, and 60 former
heads of state and 100 Nobel Prize winners have urged President
Joe Biden to back the waiver.
Shares of Novavax surged 16% in extended trading on Tuesday
after Biden said the United States was planning to share
COVID-19 vaccines with countries in need of aid.
The company is expected to report data from its ongoing
large, late-stage study in the United States and Mexico during
the second quarter of this year.
Tai held virtual meetings on Monday with vaccine makers
Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
