[The Specialist] If we release our intellectual property rights, can we make a vaccine right away?

First of all, you can think of intellectual property as a patent right.

When you develop a drug, you've been preventing other companies from copying it for 20 years. By the way, the United States asked to release the 20-year guarantee right away.

Is it possible to exempt intellectual property rights? Starting with the answer, it is possible, but it is a bit complicated.

Take the Pfizer vaccine as an example. How it was made, first I cut a little bit of a gene from the coronavirus and put it in another genetic material.

You must be able to skillfully use the cutting-edge technology of genetic rock.

After that, the vaccine raw materials are grown and aged using E. coli, and each of the aging time, humidity, and temperature is patented.

It’s easy to understand, let’s explain it with this meju.

Even the same beans will produce completely different meju depending on the conditions such as the place, time, temperature, humidity, etc. where they are aged.

Just as the key is to keep the same taste, so is the vaccine.

More importantly, after the raw material has been filtered out of impurities and the contents are complete, they need to be packaged with special materials for storage and transportation, and this technology has not been patented.

When a patent is issued, the technology must be disclosed after a certain period of time, but it is so core technology that it is better not to disclose the patent even if the patent is abandoned.

It is that technology is not transferred just by unlocking a patent.

Fortunately, though, if the US unlocks its patents and discloses its core technology, will we be able to manufacture a vaccine right away?

This isn't complicated, but it's not easy.

The Pfizer vaccine was developed jointly by the United States, Pfizer, and Germany.

You only need to agree on three, but even if you object to one, a third party cannot make it.

But Pfizer and Germany are against it.

This is because the core technology is not only a vaccine, but a source technology that can make all drugs such as anticancer drugs.

If Pfizer and Germany turn their minds, can we become a vaccine hub country?

This is possible, but it takes some time.

This is a text message from a domestic vaccine company to me.

It's a big company.'If you get vaccine raw materials from Pfizer, you can produce it right away. However, it can take more than a year to produce from raw materials, even if the technology is completely transferred.'

That is, it takes about a year to make a vaccine at our will without supplying raw materials even after a tough process such as an agreement to release a patent and transfer of core technology.

The bottom line is that intellectual property rights are difficult to unlock, and even if they are released, it is difficult to exert a great effect right away.

Nevertheless, it is very important to have a vaccine technology.

Because even if Corona 19 disappears, another corona, another virus, will certainly come.

At least 10 years ahead and trying to secure technology thoroughly and calmly, we need to start now.

(Video coverage: Kim Hyeon-sang·Gong Jin-gu, CG: Ryu Sang-soo·Kang Gyeong-rim, Video editing: Lee Seung-hee, Source: Research Institute of Basic Science)