Access to medicines
A Breakthrough in R&D for neglected diseases: new ways to get the drugs we need
Opportunities for scaling up neglected-disease drug development
Authors:
Mary Moran
Publisher:
Public Library of Science Medicine , 2005
Whereas only 13 new drugs have been developed for neglected tropical diseases since 1975, this paper, published in PLoS Medicine, notes that this is as a result of current perception that these diseases are not commercially attractive for companies to invest in and the other being that, although public-private partnerships (PPPs) for drug development have started, they are problematic.
The author finds that the logical outcome of these beliefs is to focus on new policies to commercialise neglected-disease markets for large companies. The author argues that the landscape of neglected-disease drug development has changed dramatically during the past five years.
Drawing from an examination of the 60-plus neglected-disease projects now under way, the paper concludes that long-held beliefs on neglected disease drug development activity are no longer accurate, and that these inaccurate beliefs have led—and are leading—to poorly designed and targeted government policies and incentives. Finally, the author highlights opportunities for better-targeted government policies that will more closely match the reality of neglected disease drug development and the needs of public and industry groups.
