Proposal by South Africa and India to temporarily waive from intellectual property rules amid the Coronavirus pandemic

Twelve Republican lawmakers have written to US President Joe Biden urging him not to support a proposal by South Africa and India to temporarily waive from intellectual property rules amid the Coronavirus pandemic. The two BRICS countries with the support of more than 90 others have since October last year sought to lead negotiations at the World Trade Organisation to waive certain IP rights in order to ramp up production and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in order to save lives. But richer countries led by the United States and Europe continue to argue that such a move would harm research and development.