As the SARS-like novel coronavirus has already left 22 people around the world dead, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries with potential cases of the on Thursday that they must share information and not allow commercial labs to profit from the virus, which has killed 22 people worldwide.
"We are still struggling with diagnostics and the reason is that the virus was patented by scientists and is not allowed to be used for investigations by other scientists," said Saudi Deputy Health Minister Ziad Memish in a statement.
Speaking in Geneva for the World Health Assembly, the UN health agency's decision-making body, that the coronavirus that first emerged last June had been "sent out of the country."
"It was patented, and contracts were signed with vaccine companies and anti-viral drug companies" which now need to give their approval every time another lab wants to use the virus, he said.
"I think strongly that the delay in the development of .... diagnostic procedures is related to the patenting of the virus," Memish said.
WHO chief Margaret Chan expressed dismay at the information.
"Why would your scientists send specimens out to other laboratories on [sic] a bilateral manner and allow other people to take intellectual property rights on new disease?" she asked.
"Any new disease is full of uncertainty."
She urged the WHO's 194 member states to only share "viruses and specimens with WHO collaborating centers... not in a bilateral manner," according to BBC news.
"I will follow it up. I will look at the legal implications together with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. No IP (intellectual property) should stand in the way of you, the countries of the world, to protect your people," she added.
