India, July 27 -- Negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex, a main component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, have dragged on further with member states failing to reach a consensus even after the seventh meeting on the subject last week, people familiar with the matter said.

Countries acknowledge that continued discussions are needed to finalise a framework that supports a faster, more effective and equitable response to future pandemics.

Signatories are required to rapidly share pathogen materials and digital sequence information with the global system. Users, including pharmaceutical companies and other commercial and non-commercial users like genomic firms, would not be required to enter into enforceable st...