Exclusive: France's Biomérieux, a key supplier of chemicals needed to test for coronavirus, is giving Canada its proprietary formula so the country can manufacture badly-needed test kits on its own
TORONTO - A key supplier of the chemicals needed to test for coronavirus, France’s Biomérieux, has given its proprietary formula to the Canadian government for free so its national lab can try to manufacture badly-needed test kits on its own, according to federal officials and a note to customers obtained by Reuters.
In March, Canada passed emergency legislation that gave the government and third parties it designates the right to produce patented goods without the patent holders’ consent. Doing that could have been technically difficult, without a company’s formula. PHAC said its manufacturing was still in “development and testing” and its goal was to alleviate shortages soon.
Other major suppliers are Thermo Fisher Scientific acquisition target Qiagen and Roche. All are facing soaring demand, as public health workers around the world race to find people who could be spreading the virus.
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