Germany tries to stop US from luring away firm seeking coronavirus vaccine

So The US Government is trying to buy out this German research company CureVac which is developing a vaccine so it can be the first country making a vaccine (& make money from it, if not boasting how great the US is at least).
CureVac CEO Daniel Menichella (now ex CEO) was invited at the white house earlier this month, and left the Company after!
More about that here: www.fiercebiotech.com...

That's pretty sick IMO, in these times trying to be the first with take overs and such, trying to move research already done too the US. No morals/ honor... As if that's important who is first, research is only getting delayed with such actions and is just wrong.

Here the main story:
nationalpost.com...

BERLIN — Berlin is trying to stop Washington from persuading a German company seeking a coronavirus vaccine to move its research to the United States, prompting German politicians to insist no country should have a monopoly on any future vaccine.

Germany’s Health Ministry confirmed a report in newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which said President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure the company CureVac to the United States, and the German government was making counter-offers to tempt it to stay.

“The German government is very interested in ensuring that vaccines and active substances against the new coronavirus are also developed in Germany and Europe,” the newspaper quoted a Health Ministry official as saying. “In this regard, the government is in intensive exchange with the company CureVac.”

Contacted by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the German Health Ministry said: “We confirm the report in the Welt am Sonntag.”

Welt am Sonntag quoted an unidentified German government source as saying Trump was trying to secure the scientists’ work exclusively, and would do anything to get a vaccine for the United States, “but only for the United States.”

There was no comment immediately available from the U.S. embassy in Berlin when contacted by Reuters on Sunday over the report, and nobody was available to comment at CureVac. Welt am Sonntag said CureVac declined to comment.

Florian von der Muelbe, CureVac’s chief production officer and co-founder, told Reuters last week the company had started with a multitude of coronavirus vaccine candidates and was now selecting the two best to go into clinical trials.

The privately-held company based in Tuebingen, Germany hopes to have an experimental vaccine ready by June or July to then seek the go-ahead from regulators for testing on humans.

On its website, CureVac said CEO Daniel Menichella early this month met Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and senior representatives of pharmaceutical and biotech companies to discuss a vaccine.

Karl Lauterbach, a professor of health economics and epidemiology who is also a senior lawmaker with the Social Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, tweeted in reaction to the Welt am Sonntag report: “The exclusive sale of a possible vaccine to the USA must be prevented by all means. Capitalism has limits.” (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Paul Carrel)

a reply to: Pluginn

According to a report in the newspaper Mannheimer Morgen (Monday), an exclusive contract with the USA for a corona vaccine is out of the question for the Tübingen-based pharmaceutical company CureVac. "We want to develop a vaccine for the whole world and not for individual countries," Christof Hettich, CEO and co-founder of the main investor dievini Hopp BioTech Holding, told the newspaper.

www.augsburger-allgemeine.de...

a reply to: Pluginn

Would the U.S. really only use it on themselves? I doubt it. If we did then that would be messed up. If getting the company speeds up a vaccine for everyone then go for it.

Already sounding like a politicized sensational story that lacks any proof 😷

Bad on Trump if this is true. No one country should dictate how the rest of the world fares amidst disease and no one should control the vaccines.

Let Germany take the credit but get every country involved in the preparation and distribution. This is a world event and all people should have access if they want. All countries working together will provide enough of the vaccine that would be needed.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Already sounding like a politicized sensational story that lacks any proof 😷

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced that the attempt by the US government to lure CureVac researchers to the USA with a lot of money in order to have an exclusive preparation will be a topic in the crisis management group of the German government. The Federal Ministry of Health had previously confirmed a report in the newspaper "Welt am Sonntag", according to which the US government was trying to lure the Thuringian company. US President Donald Trump wanted to bring German scientists to the US or secure the drug for his country alone with large financial contributions.

SPIEGEL

a reply to: watchandwait410

From the looks of it the US wants to be the first (&maybe make money from it) so they look abroad and try to lure research&researches/scientists back in the US. Trump would be very happy that he can announce american greatness after all. Sure I don't think it will be only for the US then, but if you would reverse this where for example China would try to move corona vaccine research away from the US to China with allot of money. The US would be not happy and would do anything to stop this no doubt.

why would trump do this, now it makes us look incompetent, as if our own companies can't come up with a vaccine like they always have with past viruses, why trump? almost sounds like he's panicking over this situation.

a reply to: Pluginn

Make America first, make America great. The world would benefit from America's quick recovery

originally posted by: namehere
why would trump do this, now it makes us look incompetent, as if our own companies can't come up with a vaccine like they always have with past viruses, why trump? almost sounds like he's panicking over this situation.

because he has no interest in the fate of other people. he is only interested in personal success, and this virus does not fit into his concept. it may well be that it is not the democrats or the leftys or the antifa who finally bring down trump but a virus called coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The US is trying to lure this company here, not buy them out. The title is right, the literature is not right. Our government doesn't buy companies, they try to get them to relocate to their country.

a reply to: rickymouse

They try to buy the exclusive rights with this vaccin against this Corona Virus. Also with large amounts of money trying to lure people away from this Germany company.
Using Hillary words; what difference does it make?

In these bad times behaving/acting like that, is nothing short of having no class/respect/honor.

Operation paperclip2

The CEO left on his own, he wasn’t kidnapped by the US government

He left for one of two reasons. Cash-money....or America has more toys for him to play with.

If the top researcher left for money, kind of shows that a for profit system works better then socialized medicine system. How many would be doctors don’t because one because they want tonnage more money and socialist medicine doesn’t make it rain enough

a reply to: SocratesJohnson

Still it's really bad class not only from the US government but also from that CEO sure. In these times where we all face the same enemy..

Research/ a vaccine only will maybe get delayed with such actions most likely. This isn't the time about trying buying out the best abroad and when they succeed with this even boasting about US greatness and having exclusive rights. It's sick behavior in these times.

I see zero issue with this, if they can pull it off, go for it.

We already have a breakthrough in our own backyard I believe, but even still.

a reply to: SocratesJohnson

It certainly shows that a for profit system fosters egoism.

And Trump is the epitome of egoism a shining example of the US for profit system.

originally posted by: oloufo

originally posted by: namehere
why would trump do this, now it makes us look incompetent, as if our own companies can't come up with a vaccine like they always have with past viruses, why trump? almost sounds like he's panicking over this situation.

because he has no interest in the fate of other people. he is only interested in personal success, and this virus does not fit into his concept. it may well be that it is not the democrats or the leftys or the antifa who finally bring down trump but a virus called coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

What a ridiculous notion and only reinforces the fact that you have ZERO idea what you're talking about.

The very fact that we were trying to get more research to come to the US from abroad shows exactly how we are trying to tackle the issue.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't put any stock into media that is sensationalizing stories for gullible and easily fooled consumers such as yourself.

Since you can't be depended on for critical info, here is something for you,

During a press opportunity on March 2, a dozen biotech company executives joined President Donald Trump around the same wooden table where his cabinet meets.
As each took a turn saying what they could add to the fight against the spreading coronavirus, Trump was interested in knowing exactly how soon a countermeasure might be ready.

Furthermore,

Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts—could say that just weeks into the outbreak his company had already delivered a candidate vaccine into the hands of the government for testing.
“So you are talking over the next few months you think you could have a vaccine?” Trump said, looking impressed.
“Correct,” said Bancel, whose company is pioneering a new type of gene-based vaccine. It had been, he said, just a matter of “a few phone calls” with the right people.

Source dates at March 10, 2020
www.technologyreview.com...

If the US wants to "stock up" on research, then by all means, go for it.

originally posted by: namehere
why would trump do this, now it makes us look incompetent, as if our own companies can't come up with a vaccine like they always have with past viruses, why trump? almost sounds like he's panicking over this situation.

Probably because in all likelihood, our vaccine would be made in China.

originally posted by: moebius
a reply to: SocratesJohnson

It certainly shows that a for profit system fosters egoism.

And Trump is the epitome of egoism a shining example of the US for profit system.

It is that for profit system you so deride that produces the vaccine in the first place, as well as EVERY modern convenience around you.

Nothing stops any public institution or hospital from doing the same - they can't

Socialism NEVER works.
Keep believing in that BS, as well as fairies, Bigfoot, flat earth..etc...

Sounds just like when an employer really wants to hire someone and pitches an offer.

Don't really see anything wrong with it, because all this article says is the usual "unnamed so and so."

The US government pitched an offer, the company's CEO went to meet with it's prospective "employers." The German government made counter offers. etc etc

Looks like the company is interested in who will provide the best funding.

That's business. Other than that, this is shoddy reporting. Your OP and the article you cite are full of loaded dialogue and spin.