A package of health proposals intended to build up the EU’s resilience to health threats while strengthening the competitiveness of Europe’s pharmaceutical industry and ensuring access to affordable drugs takes a major step through the legislative process this week.

European Commission proposals for strengthening intellectual property protections in the EU, particularly the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) system, have been broadly welcomed by Europe’s brand industry. But the medical NGO, MSF, says the SPC proposals run counter to the commission’s own efforts to improve access to medicines.

Russia says it will make the first deliveries of its $10-per-dose Sputnik V vaccine in January, while international regulators say vaccine trials should continue for as long as possible to generate longer-term evidence on their benefits and risks. A UK research body has stressed that drugs repurposed for COVID-19 also need to undergo thorough safety and efficacy testing as reports suggest the UK regulator could approve a vaccine within days.