It is with great delight that we announce a Round Table on “Access of Innovative Drugs for Developing Countries” which will be held on Monday, 3 March 2008 at the room AJF in the Graduate Institute for International and Developing Studies. The highly distinguished panel with members of the World Health Organization, the Swiss government, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Civil Society will assure that the topic is entirely covered.
It takes pharmaceutical companies around 12 years to develop a drug and costs them several hundred million dollars to do so. Venture capital is not abundant since the risky and lengthy development of drugs is at best chosen as a second option to investments towards other industries. The specific features of the pharmaceutical market causes the pharmaceutical companies to focus on the developpment of so-called "blockbusters", drugs which allow them to generate a high turn over. Blockbusters are meant to dominate the market for several years since the drugs are protected with a patent allowing to apply a high market price. A patent is therefore a mean to generate a high turnover for the companies in the field and to allow to counter-balance the costly research programs.
Innovative medicines which are expensive are, of course, not affordable for a large part of the population from developing countries creating an inequality concerning the access to such medicines. This development has significant impacts on the developing world. Many of these diseases were in the past not known to be a threat to security for developing countries, but are so today.
Based on the provisions of the TRIPS agreement (particularly art. 31), developing countries try to avoid the validity of the intellectual property rights accorded to pharmaceutical companies and state emergency measures to protect the health of their population. Pharmaceutical products for example for countries such as Switzerland account for more than 30 % of the value of all exports . The pharmaceutical industry has a great interest to protect their industry.
Approaches are needed that allow to increase the access of innovative drugs for developping countires and at the same time to assure an interest of the pharmaceutical industry to continue their R & D programs for medicines which are a danger to the public health in developing countries. These medicines may not assure a high turn over. Therefore innovative approaches are needed to deal with the inequalities between low benefit and important social impacts.
UNCTAD for example tries to enhance the part of cheaper generics in order to enlarge the access for innovative drugs. Other actors in the field have similar approaches.
The solutions for global access to equitable medicines are not obvious, but many crucial issues will be discussed during this round table and will enhance a broader understanding for the participants.
Your active participation in this panel may be a step towards a better world and apart from that being actively involved on a topic is always more stimulating than just being part of it!
Please do not miss out studying our preparation section!
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