Moderna, Pfizer and now Johnson & Johnson have emerged as surprising heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic—pulling our nation out of this pandemic one vaccine shot at a time.

This week, however, co-host Jeremy Corr raised a thought-provoking question: Why aren’t generic drug makers getting involved to help speed up vaccine production and end this pandemic faster? Do name-brand drug companies have any obligation to hand over their patents to generic drug manufacturers? Would it make a difference if they did?

In this episode of Coronavirus: The Truth, Jeremy and Dr. Robert Pearl discuss the ethical and legal implications of drug development during a national crisis.

Here’s everything that was discussed [and when] on this episode:

[00:55] Each week, the show begins with the most recent and relevant facts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on American life. What’s happening and what does it mean?

[05:20] Listener question: “We seem to be learning more about the Covid-19 vaccines each week. Is anything still uncertain?”

[12:40] Who’s still hesitant to take the vaccine and why?

[15:15] Nursing homes were responsible for approximately 40% of deaths in the early phases of the pandemic. What about now?

[16:50] Listener question: “How does the mutation rate of this virus compares to others we’ve seen in the past?”

[20:00] Pfizer has requested FDA approval to meet less stringent storage and transportation requirements. What happened with that?

[21:03] Why aren’t drug companies required to hand over their patents to generic drug manufacturers in order to speed up production and end the pandemic?

[23:52] Any especially good news this week?

[25:57] Mental health remains a major worry for educators and parents. What are we learning?

[27:54] Any new insights on the origin of the virus one year later?

[30:50] Some states like Texas are talking about eliminating any Covid-related restrictions whereas officials like Dr. Fauci describe these as foolish and dangerous actions. Discuss …

[36:00] Obesity is known as a major contributor to complications and deaths from Covid-19. Why is America’s weight problem only treated as a wake-up call?

This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

If you have coronavirus questions for the hosts, please visit the contact page or send us a message on Twitter or LinkedIn.

*To ensure the credibility of this program, Coronavirus: The Truth refuses to accept sponsorship, outside funding sources or guests with any financial or personal conflicts of interest.

The post CTT #33: Why aren’t we producing generic vaccines? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.