E-DRUG: Viewpoint - ATMF - New products alone are not enough. Pharma can do more to halt COVID-19.
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New products alone are not enough. Pharma can do more to halt COVID-19.*
Full viewpoint here:
https://accesstomedicinefoundation.org/publications/new-products-alone-are-not-enough-pharma-can-do-more-to-halt-covid-19
The COVID-19 epidemic will hit the most vulnerable people hardest. The
pharmaceutical industry has a responsibility to do more than develop new
vaccines and medicines - companies must also help achieve fair, global
access to new products.
The COVID-19 pandemic is confirming many important truths - two of which
stand out from the perspective of our organisation. First, any successful
response requires the pharmaceutical industry to fully engage and respond
with agility. This industry will play a critical role in saving lives first
and foremost and in getting us back on our feet to restart a stalling
global economy.
Second, this pandemic is going to hit the people living in low- and
middle-income countries the hardest. With weaker health systems and greater
threats to health, these countries face a tougher challenge from COVID-19.
The HIV and AIDS epidemic is not over; malaria and TB remain some of the
world's biggest killers. All three diseases disproportionately affect the
most vulnerable people among us.
The pharmaceutical industry is now working toward new treatments and
vaccines targeting COVID-19. This is one half of the equation. When those
new products leave the pipeline, ensuring they are made widely accessible
will be the central issue. People in more vulnerable countries and
communities must not be left behind.
At the Access to Medicine Foundation, we work every day to stimulate and
guide the pharmaceutical industry to do more for people living in low- and
middle-income countries. We have been tracking and evaluating their actions
in this area for more than ten years.
The actions for pharmaceutical companies to take during this crisis are
clear: the development and equitable delivery of health products, done in
an ethical and responsible manner. We have confirmed these priorities via a
broad-ranging stakeholder dialogue and distilled them into the new
analytical framework for the next Access to Medicine Index.
It is encouraging to see companies already taking positive steps in
response to global calls for action, particularly to develop new medicines
and vaccines. This is despite some counter examples, such as movements (now
reversed) to extend or safeguard exclusivity rights for potential
treatments. We are currently gathering data for the next Access to Medicine
Index, which will evaluate and compare the responses of 20 of the world's
largest pharmaceutical companies to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite rapid action from some companies, the fragility and reach of the
industry's ambition is troubling when it comes to halting the pandemic in
low- and middle-income countries. Actions are concentrated amongst few
players, repeating a pattern revealed by our research into pharma company
responses to global health priorities. There had been precious little
engagement prior to this year in emerging infectious disease research ( R&D
for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) comprised 1% of R&D projects in
2018) and only a handful of large companies remain in the development of
new antibiotics.
This risk of decline in the long-term engagement of the pharmaceutical
industry leaves us all vulnerable. A larger group of companies is needed,
both to address COVID-19 and to prepare for the next pandemic. Companies
who have already left the field of infectious disease research still have
important roles to play: in sharing their expertise and intellectual
property, contributing manufacturing capacity, securing supply and
affordability of their products.
Halting this pandemic depends on global access to effective treatments and
vaccines. More than 80% of the global population currently lives in low-
and middle-income countries. The pharmaceutical industry should ensure that
new and effective products are made available and affordable to patients,
regardless of where they live or their economic circumstance. Fair
allocation must be made amongst all countries. To achieve equitable global
access at scale, pharmaceutical companies must be open to bold, ambitious
ideas, such as the voluntary pooling of patents. When it comes to vaccines,
global access is key to building herd immunity and eradicating the virus.
When it comes to medicines, global access will help to free up beds in ICU
wards. Both save lives.
When the goal of ending the threat of COVID-19 is achieved, the benchmark
for success will not be an approved vaccine or therapy. It will be whether
people received life-saving treatment regardless of where they lived or
what they earned. If we can achieve this, as a global community of public
and private actors, then we will be able to say we have kept our shared
promises to the most vulnerable.
Danny Edwards
Research Programme Manager
Access to Medicine Foundation
Danny Edwards <dedwards@accesstomedicinefoundation.org>