Some U.S. government contracts for Covid-19 research could skirt affordable pricing laws
A new report finds that the U.S. government awarded several drug makers contracts for coronavirus research using agreements that would allow authorities to bypass laws that could ensure taxpayer-funded medicines or vaccines are affordable.
In recent months, the Department of Defense and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority signed or extended contracts with four companies — the Janssen unit at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the Genentech unit at Roche (RHHBY), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN), and Ology Bioservices — for research on either Covid-19 vaccines or medicines.
