The US media disclosed that Modena in the US has so far almost only supplied new crown vaccines to wealthy countries and regions, and low- and middle-income countries and regions either need to purchase them at a premium or wait in line.

Relying on this "profit-seeking first" supply method, the American biotechnology company has made a lot of money. This year's estimated revenue is 20 billion U.S. dollars, and the wealth of corporate executives and investors has also risen.

  According to the "New York Times" report on the 9th, Modena's development of the new crown vaccine benefited from the financial and technical support of the US government. Modena is higher than other manufacturers of new crown vaccines.

  Alfiniti’s data shows that Modena supplies about 1 million doses of the new crown vaccine to low-income countries and regions designated by the World Bank. The other two US vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson correspond to the respective quantities. It is about 8.4 million doses and 25 million doses.

So far, only a few middle-income countries and regions have reached a purchase agreement with Modena, most of which have not been delivered, and at least three buyers have purchased at a higher price than the United States or the European Union.

  According to the disclosed government procurement information, the purchase price in the United States is US$15 to US$16.5 per dose, and the EU purchase price is US$22.6 to US$25.5.

Thailand, Colombia, and Botswana, which are classified by the World Bank as "upper middle income", have purchase prices ranging from US$27 to US$30.

  The World Health Organization has repeatedly urged vaccine manufacturers to supply underdeveloped countries and regions at reasonable prices in order to curb the epidemic there.

An African Union official said in May that the AU will order the Modena vaccine at a price of approximately $10 per dose.

But two other AU officials said that Modena would not be able to deliver the vaccine until next year, leading to the breakdown of negotiations.

  Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "It seems that Modena's behavior is that they only seek to maximize the return on investment and have no other responsibilities."

  In response to such doubts, Modena argued that production capacity is limited and is increasing production capacity as much as possible.

  Modena was established in 2010 to develop technologies and drugs based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).

According to the New York Times, unlike Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, which develop other pharmaceutical products in addition to vaccines, Modena currently only has the new crown vaccine product available. Therefore, the company's development prospects are closely related to the sales of the new crown vaccine.

  With the widespread use of the new crown vaccine, Modena's operating income has increased substantially.

Modena’s latest financial statements show that the company’s revenue in the second quarter of this year was US$4.4 billion, far exceeding the US$67 million in the same period last year; it made a profit of US$4 billion in the first six months of this year and lost US$240 million in the first half of last year.

  According to Modena's previous estimates, the new crown vaccine will bring this company at least $20 billion in revenue this year, making it one of the most profitable medical products in the United States so far.

  The US "Forbes" magazine released the "400 richest Americans" list on the 4th of this month. Modena's two founders and an investor were among them for the first time, with personal net worth exceeding US$3.5 billion.

  At the same time, there is still a severe shortage of new crown vaccines in many poor countries in the world.

The New York Times reported that as of September 30, the vaccination rate in dozens of underdeveloped countries in Africa, the Middle East and other regions was less than 10%.

  Modena is not the only vaccine company that has caused controversy due to the "rich country first" supply strategy.

In August of this year, British media reported that Johnson & Johnson of the United States exported vaccines produced by its South African plant to more affluent countries and regions. Johnson & Johnson was criticized by officials of the World Health Organization and public health professionals.

(An Xiaomeng) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)