E-DRUG: European Voice Article: Five-fold increase in TB research needed
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Please find below an article from the European Voice.
< href="http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2008/11/five-fold-increas
e-i target=blank>http://www.europeanvoice.co m/article/2008/11/five-fold-increase-in-tb-research-needed/63089.aspx
"MSF also argues that the Commission needs to rev allocates money and to consider alternatives. One of those it su ggests is the creation of a prize fund.(...)
Like MSF, Malpani sa a ?patent pool', a system o pharmaceutical companies to produce for developing countries while therefore t intellectual-property theft. "
Fiv
By Zoë Casey
17.11.2008 / 09:07 CET
Médécin Sans Frontières says the E multiply its ?deeply inadequate? spending as tu Europe.
The European Co little on research on t malaria, Médécin Sans Fronti
Although the medical charity's report, published on 14 relates to a range of tropical diseases, it highlights Europe's f ailure to devote resources to TB as being particularly dangerous, in
part b Caucasus into easte on the frontline of the d
MSF estimates that each year the world needs to devote about billion to research into TB, which kills 1.7 million people a year. Based on its share of the world economy (31%), the EU's ?fair share?
should Commission currently European spending on TB re should be spending ?101m on the dise million in 2007, a sum that MSF described as ?
The complacency of national governments is also h example, the EU's largest economy ? Germany ? contributed j million in 2007, MSF said.
The lack of funding is apparent i new drugs that have come onto the market 1975 and 2004, just 1.3% of new drugs were for ? a classification that includes both well-known disease malaria ?and little-known parasite-borne diseases such as leishm aniasis and Chagas. This is almost ten times less than warranted by
their i ?disease burden?.
MSF also argues that the Commission needs to review how it allocates
m creation
MSF's call was echoed by the development charity Ox not contribute to the report. Oxfam's Rohit Malpani said tha Commission should allocate more of its research programme's money to develop treatments for ?neglected diseases'.
?For too many years the from our global system of medic
Malpani said that the Commission could cheaper for developing countries by funding alterna traditional patent-based research model that has given pharm aceutical giants a monopoly over medicines for HIV, malaria and TB.
Non-pro alternative, h
Like MSF, Malpani said the Commission should also consider cr a ?patent pool', a system of cross-licensing that enables generic ph armaceutical companies to produce low-cost versions of their drugs for
deve intellectual-property © 2008 European Voice. All rights reserved.
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Alexandra IP Policy Adviser
Médecins Sans Fr Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
Rue Dupré, 94. 1090 Brussels
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