Washington, DC – Today, Patients Over Pharma released a new report marking two months since the formal launch of the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS) on May 15, 2020. The report lays out the significant connections between OWS leadership and major drug companies, the conflicts of interest that have emerged as multi-billion-dollar decisions have been made, and what we know about the drug companies that have received the $4 billion dollars handed out so far.

The report highlights how, two months since the program was created, the Trump Administration has shrouded the program in secrecy, refused to release the contracts between the government and the drug companies, and won’t tell taxpayers and patients what kind of assurances they received, if any, that vaccines developed with taxpayer support will be affordable and accessible for every American. 

“We are now two months into Operation Warp Speed and people across the country still have no idea if the drug company executives Trump put in charge of it secured any assurances regarding access and affordability of vaccines developed with taxpayer dollars,” said Eli Zupnick, spokesman for Patients Over Pharma. “This report lays out what we know about Operation Warp Speed so far, and more importantly, it highlights how much the Trump Administration continues to hide regarding the agreements they made with drug companies and what they got for the billions of taxpayer dollars they’ve spent so far.” 

Patients Over Pharma recently reiterated its call for transparency from the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine and treatment development program to ensure that political pressure isn’t once again impacting the government’s COVID-19 response efforts.

Earlier this month, Patients Over Pharma called on Congress to mandate that an independent patient advocate be appointed to audit and provide continued oversight of the Trump Administration’s ‘Operation Warp Speed’ COVID-19 vaccine and treatment development program.

Last month, following reporting that the HHS refused to confirm whether the Trump Administration secured any assurances regarding vaccine pricing from drug companies receiving the over $2 billion in federal vaccine development investments, Patients Over Pharma filed Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking the details of any vaccine development-related contracts between drug companies and HHS, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Assistant Secretary forPreparedness and Response (ASPR).

Additional background from the past two months of Operation Warp Speed:

June 25: “New Vaccine Report Highlights Trump Administration’s Drug Company Connections, Need for Vaccine Program Transparency”

June 24: “As Dr. Fauci Expresses Hope for Vaccine By End of Year, Patients Need Assurances That Trump Pressure Won’t Corrupt Development Process”

June 11: “Leading Drug Pricing and Watchdog Organizations Demand Information from Operation Warp Speed Finalists on COVID Vaccine Pricing”

June 8: “Watchdog Calls for Independent Patient Advocate to Audit ‘Operation Warp Speed’”

May 29: “COVID-19: Watchdog Group Files Freedom of Information Requests Following New Warning Signs on Vaccine Pricing”

May 26: “Lack of Transparency, Conflicts of Interest Surround Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” Vaccine Development Program”

May 21: “CONFIRMED: Trump’s ‘Vaccine Czar’ Given Full Ethics/Public Disclosure Exemption, Refuses to Divest from Drug Companies Standing to Make Billions from His Federal Role”

May 20: “Watchdog Group to Azar: Disclose Details of Former Pharma Exec’s “Operation Warp Speed” Appointment”

May 19: “NEW ANALYSIS: Trump’s New ‘Vaccine Czar’ Stands to Receive Up To $450K Tax Break Through Divestment Delay”

May 18: “BREAKING: Drug Company Shows Promising Results on Taxpayer-Funded Vaccine”

May 15: BACKGROUND: “Operation Warp Speed” Leadership and Big Pharma”

May 13: SHOCKER: Another Pharma Executive Reported to Be Headed Into Trump Administration”

May 13: “Watchdog Group: Congress, Not Drug Companies, Should Determine Access and Affordability of Taxpayer-Funded Vaccines and Treatments”

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