E-drug: More self reliance in drug production
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During the UNCTAD meeting in Bangkok the Thai Health Minister
called for an international public fund for drug development for
diseases prevalent in poor countries. He also called for more self
reliance in the production of medicines. See below article in the
Bangkok Post.
Tido von Schoen-Angerer, MD
Medecins sans Frontieres, Thailand
msfdrugs@asianet.co.th
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http://www.bangkokpost.net/today/130200_News03.html
UNCTAD X
Minister calls for drug self-reliance
To curb dependency on costly imports
Nusara Thaitawat and Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Health Minister Korn Dabbaransi yesterday called on developing
countries' pharmaceutical industries to co-operate to produce quality
drugs at affordable prices in order to reduce dependency on imports.
He also called for an international public fund to be established to
support research and development of new drugs for the poor. Mr Korn
made his statement at the opening of a two-day Buyers-Sellers
Meeting on Pharmaceuticals organised by the Geneva-based
International Trade Centre. The event was part of the 10th United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
"We need to work together more closely to sustain our long term
self-reliance for good quality low cost drugs."He said collaboration in
the production and sale of pharmaceutical raw materials and generic
drugs, and the improvement of drug quality in developing countries
were important strategies to reduce dependence on imports. Other
strategies were to rationalise drug use and improve efficiency in drug
procurement, he said.
On the international public fund, Mr Korn pointed out that
multinational pharmaceutical companies concentrated their resources
on drugs for the rich, such as cardiovascular and psychological
diseases whereas very few drugs had been developed for diseases
prevalent in poor countries. He said the world drug market amounted
to about US$300 billion per year.
"If one percent of this amount is earmarked for this public fund, we
would get $3 billion per year, enough for the development of at least
three-to-five new drugs for the poor," he said. Denis Belisle, executive
director of ITC said Southeast Asian countries represented at the
meeting imported around $4 billion worth of pharmaceuticals last
year-of which 80% originated outside the region.
He said the 80% import figure did not mean the region did not have
the ability to supply drugs. There are an estimated 5,000 small,
medium-sized and large enterprises formulating and manufacturing
drugs, though many operate below capacity, he said.
Mr Belisle said the region needed to overcome the outdated perception
that locally manufactured drugs were of a substandard quality, as
adequate quality control mechanisms were in place in most countries.
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