What Next: TBD

The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly

How intellectual property laws make health crises worse.

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Episode Notes

It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally.

Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine

Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Anna Phillips.

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About the Show

Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

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Host

  • Emily Peck is a veteran journalist who has worked as a writer and editor at national outlets like HuffPost, the Wall Street Journal, and the American Lawyer.