Trump Reportedly Offering Money to Lure German Firm Developing Coronavirus Cure to the U.S.

Mandel Ngan/AFP/ Getty Images

The German Ministry of Health was asked to address reports that President Donald Trump tried to buy exclusive rights to the work of a German company trying to develop a cure for the coronavirus.

A story originating from German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported that the Trump administration has been trying to entice CureVac, a biopharmaceutical company, to move their research operations to the United States. The paper also referred to an unidentified government source who said 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.'”

In Reuters’ coverage of the story, they corroborated Welt am Sonntag by saying their own government sources told them that “the U.S. administration was looking into how it could gain access to a potential vaccine being developed” by CureVac. Reuters reported that German politicians are accusing the Trump administration of trying to establish a monopoly on a possible cure, and also that their government is making counter-offers to encourage CureVac into keeping their operations domestic.

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

CureVac offered a statement saying their company is engaged with numerous parties and rejects “allegations about offers for acquisition of the company or its technology.”