OXFORD, England—Just weeks before the University of Oxford announced a mega-deal aimed at rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine world-wide, university leaders had a revolt on their hands. Publicly, Oxford scientists were touting progress in the laboratory. As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged lives and economies around the globe, Oxford found itself ahead of the pack with an encouraging vaccine candidate. Publicly funded Oxford needed to combine its high-minded ideals with the profit-driven ethos of the pharmaceutical world. “We were headed into the jungle without a machete,” says John Bell, a twice-knighted Oxford geneticist tapped by university leaders to find a pharmaceutical-industry partner.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 21, 2020 17:15 UTC