The race between the mutations of the coronavirus and research into adapted vaccines has only just begun.

Involving as many companies and researchers as possible is actually in everyone's interest.

The intention of politicians such as Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi to soften or even lift patent protection for Covid vaccines has a demotivating effect.

The case of Italy in particular shows that what is well meant does not always have positive consequences: patents on pharmaceuticals were banned in Italy for 120 years, because medicines should be available to everyone without any barriers.

However, it was ignored: Without patents, it made no sense for Italian entrepreneurs to invest money in research into new drugs.

It was not until 1978 that the Constitutional Court lifted the patent ban on drugs, and only since then has there been pharmaceutical research in the country.

The example of Italy helps in the new discussion about the patents for the corona vaccines.

Again, the question of the future is missing: What if the end of vaccine patents meant a halt to further research?

The vast and successful efforts to deliver vaccines in record time have been based on the requirement of patent rights. The awareness that there was a global problem to deal with, no matter what the cost, sparked a race in which dozens of companies - both pharmaceutical giants and startups - have entered.

Many research projects have so far been unsuccessful and lossy, a few have led to vaccines, which are now also being used to earn money. It was a bit like a lottery. But now the (lottery) profit should be abolished with populist arguments afterwards. This means that two current advantages are lost: If many people participate in the race for the vaccine, it is a successful search process for the best solutions. If there are many companies in the vaccine market, that is a guarantee of low prices and inexpensive or even free licenses.