A key player in the race to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus doesn’t conduct biomedical research. It’s 3 years old, has just 68 permanent employees, and is headquartered in Norway, which so far has reported zero cases of the illness. But the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is “incredibly necessary,” says Dr. Manuel Martin, the adviser for medical innovation and access policy at Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières). “Absolutely, without a doubt,” CEPI has accelerated development of a vaccine against the virus, says Phyllis Arthur, vice president for infectious diseases and diagnostics policy at Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a trade group.
Since CEPI’s contribution is organizational, attention usually goes to the scientists it supports. But the coalition is a societal immune response, speeding the development and deployment of vaccines that the private sector on its own lacks the profit motive to undertake.
The need for it became clear after the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000. Scientists had begun working on a vaccine, but no company had produced one, because the market was small and potential recipients poor. An ad hoc consortium rushed one into existence.
Esta historia es de la edición February 17 - 24, 2020 de Bloomberg Businessweek.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 17 - 24, 2020 de Bloomberg Businessweek.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking
The Last-Mover Problem
A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps
Tick Tock, TikTok
The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
New Money, New Problems
In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers