KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 7): Researchers studying next-generation vaccines to fight an evolving Covid-19 threat are running into problems getting existing vaccines to use in their research.

In a report on Tuesday (Sept 6), American health-oriented news website STAT said because Pfizer and Moderna hold the patents for the current vaccines, researchers would likely have to get the companies’ permission to use them for research into products like nasal or pan-coronavirus vaccines.

Right now, Pfizer is not sharing its vaccine for research purposes, a spokesperson confirmed to STAT.

Meanwhile, the portal said Moderna did not comment when asked.

Citing Ana Santos Rutschman, a professor of law at Villanova University, the report said Pfizer’s stance is legal and in line with the company’s commercial interests.

“If you use this thing that has been patented, what you’re doing doesn’t matter.

“Even if you’re trying to cure cancer, the law is pretty rigid,” she said.

However, the portal said some university researchers argue the posture slows global progress towards more effective vaccines in the future, especially since the US has already wasted tens of millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

It said Yale University virologist and immunologist Akiko Iwasaki has designed a study of nasal vaccines against Covid-19, which she argued could provide better protection against infection and transmission than shots alone.

STAT said the ideal study would be conducted on subjects that have already had a primary vaccine series to simulate real-world scenarios.

It said Iwasaki inquired with Pfizer about obtaining some vaccines to use in her study of nasal vaccines, but has not received any.

“In order for us to develop a better vaccine, we need a comparator.

“For that reason, everyone who’s doing research in this area is in the same boat. We don’t have access to do a comparison,” Iwasaki was quoted as saying.