Pfizer vaccine: Australian deal stalled over confidentiality agreement

Australia was still dithering with a confidentiality agreement to start formal vaccine talks with Pfizer at the time the US and UK signed deals to buy millions of doses.

Earlier doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine were not available to Australia, says Health Minister Greg Hunt who has hit back at suggestions the federal government dragged its feet ordering jabs.

Emails released under Freedom of Information show the Commonwealth did not immediately take up an offer for a detailed briefing with high level global executives from Pfizer in early July 2020 due to “issues” with a necessary Confidential Disclosure Agreement.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has rejected claims his government was slow to take up meeting offer with Pfizer. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

But Mr Hunt said his office engaged with Pfizer “right from the outset,” including his initial outreach to the chief executive of Pfizer Australia in early May, 2020.

“My office initiated contact with them again initiated contact with them again in June to make sure that we could commence formal negotiations, and we did,” he told Channel 9.

Mr Hunt said Pfizer was focusing on “mass death” in Europe and the US, and references to “millions” of doses of vaccine related to its global production, not an offer to Australia.

“There were no earlier doses available,” he said. ”Pfizer has made that categorically clear.”

But Labor’s health spokesman Mark Butler said the tone of the emails between Pfizer and Australian Health Department officials showed the pharmaceutical giant was the one pushing for an urgent deal.

“(The emails) revealed the extent of the go-slow,” he said.

“Pfizer in June had approached the government seeking a high-level meeting to brief them on their research.

“But for weeks and weeks, were able to get nowhere, while countries like the UK and the US, obviously, but also Canada, Japan, the European nations were busy signing deals to secure early access of this state-of-the-art vaccine for their people.”

Bureaucratic bungling stalls Pfizer vaccine talks

Australia was still dithering with a confidentiality agreement to start formal vaccine talks with Pfizer at the time the US and UK signed deals to buy millions of doses.

In early July 2020 Pfizer Australia offered the federal government a detailed virtual meeting with high level global executives, but first required a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) be signed according to emails released under Freedom of Information.

Almost a month later, the opportunity had still not been taken up, because Australian lawyers were still working to resolve “issues” with the confidentiality proposal from Pfizer.

At the same time Pfizer officials were pressing Australia about the fast-moving vaccine landscape, and highlighting deals signed with the US and UK.

Emails show Australia’s issues with a Pfizer confidentiality agreement slowed detailed vaccine talks in 2020. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

Emails exchanged between Pfizer Australia and Health Department First Assistant Secretary Lisa Schofield in June and July 2020 show the pharmaceutical company was eager to speed up discussions as the “vaccine development landscape is moving swiftly”.

On June 30, 2020, following verbal discussions, the Pfizer Australia representative wrote to Ms Schofield to initiate a “formal virtual engagement opportunity” with members of Australia’s vaccine task force.

The representative said they were able to make “senior members of Pfizer’s global leadership team available” for this discussion, “particularly if the Minister and/or Departmental leadership can be involved”.

“As the vaccine development landscape is moving swiftly, including through engagements with other nations, I am requesting this meeting occur at the earliest opportunity,” the Pfizer representative said.

On July 3, Ms Schofield replied confirming she had passed on the letter with the briefing request to Health Minister Greg Hunt, and that she would “very much appreciate” the opportunity to talk with Pfizer.

“I am managing the whole of government work on Covid-19 vaccine from the Department of Health,” Ms Schofield said.

On July 6, the Pfizer representative asked if Australia could sign the CDA, which would allow the detailed meeting to go ahead with the participation of the company’s Global Head of Vaccines.

“Once the CDA is signed, we have a lengthy and highly detailed slide deck to run through with you,” the representative said.

“This goes through the scientific development and clinical trial r[process underway, medical information on the novel RNA vaccine technology, manufacturing, supply chain and procurement processes.”

The US and UK already had deals with Pfizer before Australia had even had a detailed meeting. Picture: Joaquin Sarmiento / AFP

But Ms Schofield replied telling Pfizer it was “not usual practice to of the Commonwealth to sign such documents” as the government was covered by “various legislative requirements to keep information … confidential”.

“We are considering the CDA,” she said.

Ms Schofield instead chose to go ahead with a lower level meeting that would not involved the global Pfizer executives or include the detailed slide presentation.

Almost a month later on July 23, the Pfizer representative wrote to Ms Schofield again on several issues, including that lawyers were “close to resolving the few outstanding issues with the CDA”.”

“I look forward to scheduling another meeting with you to progress our discussions once this is signed,” they said.

The representative also said they “assume you have seen the recent news of Pfizer’s agreements with the UK and US on vaccine supply”.

The FOI was requested by the Labor Party, which has seized on the correspondence as proof the government took a “wait and see” approach to vaccine procurement.

“While other countries were signing Pfizer deals, our Government couldn’t even be bothered arranging a meeting.” Labor’s health spokesman Mark Butler said.

Originally published as Pfizer vaccine: Australian deal stalled over confidentiality agreement