Thread by @mafevema

Not for profit? REALLY? Or as disclosed by an unusually truthful PM, capitalism & greed? Massive private profits when the risk has been funded by the taxpayers?
"Pure" scientists at Oxford University or massive PERSONAL beneficiaries? A 🧵 khn.org/news/rather-th…

Under its deal with AstraZeneca, Oxford will receive no royalties during the pandemic but could make millions after it ends through a web of patents including those held by Vaccitech, a for-profit spinoff. Vaccitech’s ownership includes a 50% stake held directly or indirectly

by Oxford & 5.25% each owned PERSONALLY by Hill and Jenner’s other top vaccine scientist, Sarah Gilbert, U.K. regulatory filings show.
The potential for vaccine profits at Vaccitech was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

"I personally don’t believe that in a time of pandemic there should be exclusive licenses,” Adrian Hill, director of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, which is developing the vaccine, told The New York Times in April just before agreeing an exclusive license with Astra Zeneca in May.

After Oxford announced the exclusive AstraZeneca deal, the company said it would sell vaccines at no profit—but only during the pandemic. Johnson & Johnson’s pledge to earn no vaccine profit is similarly limited.

Apparently AZ has decided the pandemic is ended in July. Could it be why AZ is producing doses so slowly now & storing them rather than selling them in Helix (& allegedly storing 30M doses in Italy)? Because from July it will sell them for a lot more?

Then you have the issue of whether the "not for profits" sale of drugs paid for by the taxpayers is real. Every attempt to obtain transparent accounting has been rebuffed.

"The [non profit] group asked for public data disclosure from drug-company grantees, “transparent” accounting to show true vaccine cost & the right to step in and take over a vaccine project if the developer failed to deliver. The pharma industry immediately objected."

"Even though they were bankrolled by public money, drug companies were “concerned about the precedent that could be set." "With financial information kept confidential, no one will be able to confirm whether the vaccines are truly being sold at cost."

"Governments & vaccine makers should be open about their relationships, making contracts public, said Duncan Matthews, a patent law professor at the Queen Mary University.“We simply don’t know what’s in these deals.The industry is applying old rules of commercial confidentiality

Meanwhile AstraZeneca stock & options owned by CEO Pascal Soriot have increased by nearly $15 million in value since early April, according to calculations by KHN based on company disclosures.

Could it be that exceptionally our lying PM told the truth? All due to capitalism & good old fashion greed? So unusual for him he retracted his comment immediately. Meanwhile Brexiters are bleating on Twitter in defence of the nobility of the "not for profit" AZ vaccine. You bet.

PS: I don't mind Oxford making money. Everyone does. But stop playing the👼👼 . I do mind head scientists making massive personal money out of a team efforts funded by tax payers. Vaccine research benefited from huge grants for years before Covid & Oxford is a public institution.

Conclusion: neither 👼 nor 👹. Institutikns led by human beings with talents & flaws.