President Bolsonaro Opposes Brazil's Senate Approves Bill That Could Potentially Infringe Patents

Vaccine illustration. (Sam Moqadam/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Brazil's Senate on Wednesday approved a bill authorizing Brazil's president to temporarily suspend patents for vaccines and their ingredients in public health or emergencies, such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Once passed by the Lower House, the draft bill will be sent to President Jair Bolsonaro for signature and approval.

Earlier, President Bolsonaro voiced opposition to the bill, saying it could damage Brazil's relations with vaccine producers. And, Brazil doesn't yet have the technology to produce some vaccines, even if its patents are infringed.

Brazil's Senate reinstated several provisions that were removed by the lower house, including some that required patent holders to share information and biological material necessary to reproduce vaccines and possible penalties for non-compliance.

Much earlier, the Brazilian Senate approved a bill, to suspend patent protection for COVID-19 vaccines, tests and drugs during the pandemic, sending proposals to the lower house of Congress for consideration and possible amendments, on April 29.

The bill came as Brazil recorded the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic passed 400,000. Experts say this is due to the slow launch of a vaccine in Brazil, which has kept the daily death toll high for months.

"We cannot remain passively watching, day after day, 3,000 to 5,000 deaths. There is a chance, we have to do our part," said Senator Nelsinho Trad, one of the bill's supporters.

According to the bill, patent holders are required to provide all necessary information to produce COVID-19 vaccines and drugs to authorities.

Then, if the government calls for an emergency, they can be produced locally under a licensing agreement. The goal, according to Senator Paulo Paim, who drafted the bill, is to streamline vaccine production to speed up injections.