E-drug: Re: EU & Tropical Diseases / Pharmaceutical R&D (cont)
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Dear E Drug Members
I endorse the initiative oulined by Patrice Trouiller to centre-stage
research on "tropical diseases". But I can't help suggesting that the term
"tropical disease" is a bit of an anachronism today. After all we don't talk
in terms of temperate diseases or arctic diseases. Why? Precisely because
the term tropical diseases was coined in the colonial times. Their
importance was perceived not because they ravaged large sections of the
population in the tropics, but because their control was necessary for the
colonial powers to safeguard their own people who oversaw the occupation of
the colonies. This "importance" ceded to tropical diseases continued till
the 60s, because of the occupation of large parts of East Asia by the
American army. Today, with Star Wars and smart missiles and economic
colonisation, physical presence of large contingents from the Imperialist
powers are no longer necessary to excercise hegemony over different parts of
the world.
And there hangs a tale. If a drug is to be developed to treat diseases in
Asia, Africa and S.America (and that too predominantly among the poorest),
returns are likely to be limited. For pharmaceuticals in such situations
suffer from the old maxim -- those who require drugs the most are the least
likely to be able to pay for them. Thus life-style drugs like Viagra are
much more lucrative options.
It is difficult to envisage a radical shift in this situation as long as
drug development remains a privy of giant TNC conglomerates.
Amit Sen Gupta
National Campaign Committee for Drug Policy
New Delhi
ctddsf@vsnl.com
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