E-drug: The pharmaceutical industry as a medicines provider
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[This is the 3rd article in a Lancet series on Medicines, Society and
Industry. It is available for free, abstract copied below. Copied as fair
use.]
The pharmaceutical industry as a medicines provider
David Henry, Joel Lexchin
Lancet 2002; 360: 1590-95 (16 November)
http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol360/iss9345/full/llan.360.9345.editorial_and_review.23140.1
[long URL, please wrap]
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School of Medical Practice and Population Health, Faculty of Health,
University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia (Prof D Henry MBChB);
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J Lexchin MD); and School of Health Policy
and Management, York University, Toronto (J Lexchin)
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Correspondence to: Prof David Henry, Level 5, Clinical Sciences Building,
Newcastle Mater Hospital, Waratah, NSW 2298, Australia
(e-mail:mddah@mail.newcastle.edu.au)
Content:
Access to drugs
Market failure and the pharmaceutical industry
Corporate philanthropy
Subsidisation of drugs
Price controls
The international pharmaceutical industry as a business
The generic drugs industry
Privatisation of research
Identification of development targets
Costs of drug development
Use and abuse of patents
Trade-related intellectual property rights
Conclusions
References
Rising prices of medicines are putting them beyond the reach of many
people, even in rich countries. In less-developed countries, millions
of individuals do not have access to essential drugs. Drug
development is failing to address the major health needs of these
countries. The prices of patented
medicines usually far exceed the marginal costs of their production; the
industry maintains that high prices and patent protection are necessary to
compensate for high development costs of innovative products. There is
controversy over these claims. Concerns about the harmful effects of the
international system of intellectual property rights have led the World
Trade Organization to relax the demands placed on least developed countries,
and to advocate differential pricing of essential drugs. How these actions
will help countries that lack domestic production capacity is unclear.
Better access to essential drugs may be achieved through voluntary
licensing arrangements between international pharmaceutical companies
and manufacturers in developing countries.
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Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH
Head, RELIS Ost Drug Information Centre
Ulleval University Hospital
0407 OSLO, Norway
Tel: +47 23 01 64 11 Fax: +47 23 01 64 10
kirsten.myhr@relis.ulleval.no
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