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Charles A. Gardner, Tara Acharya, and Derek Yach Technological And Social Innovation: A Unifying New Paradigm For Global Health Health Affairs, July/August 2007; 26(4): 1052-1061. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Online Exhibits] [Reprints & Permissions]

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Is There Balance Between Pharmaceutical Innovations And Medical Needs?

Dharmagadda Sreedhar, Manthan J, Virendra SL, Ajay P and Udupa N   ( 8 August 2007 )

Is There Balance Between Pharmaceutical Innovations And Medical Needs? 8 August 2007
Dharmagadda Sreedhar, Lecturer Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manthan J, Virendra SL, Ajay P and Udupa N Send comment to journal: Re: Is There Balance Between Pharmaceutical Innovations And Medical Needs? d.sreedhar{at}manipal.edu Dharmagadda Sreedhar, et al.	Millions of people suffer with various illnesses and critical medical conditions. These medical problems damage economies of less-developed countries and developing countries, which in turn adds to the health problems of their populations. Whether these medical problems are tackled by pharmaceutical innovations is a subject of concern. One should look into whether there is a match between pharmaceutical innovations and overall medical needs. There should be a check on how innovative pharmaceutical companies are, and how efficient they are at moving new drugs from concept to reality, and whether pharmaceutical innovations are focusing on overall diseases causing morbidity and mortality of rich and poor. Most of the pharmaceutical companies are involved in developing new, innovative drugs but not in improving existing drugs. They patent new, innovative molecules and commercialize to earn money and make their presence felt. There may be very few pharmaceutical companies in this world that are really working on inventing new drugs that could cure neglected diseases and the diseases of poor. However, pharmaceutical industries bicker that they have to focus on developing the new drugs in order to sustain their market share, which also essentially improves the overall health of a human being and eradicates diseases. Pharmaceutical industries spend huge amounts in patenting and patent-related aspects. The overall fight for patents and the patent system is truly troubling the pharmaceutical industries. The research funds are diverted toward developing the new drugs for the diseases that affect most of the people rather than the diseases that are actually causing deaths. Thereby most of the pharmaceutical industries are directing their finance and research where they earn money regardless of uplifting the overall well-being of the people. There is dearth of researchers like Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, who developed vaccine to eradicate malaria and donated the patent to the World Health Organization, although its trials failed to produce robust outcomes. The world is in need of such researchers who not only understand the disease burden but also know that the people cannot afford to pay high prices for their treatment. Local public-private R&D partnerships would definitely help developing countries play a prominent role in global health. But there exists a worrying gap between the government, scientists, and health care providers in the developing countries, which is contributing to the imbalance of the pharmaceutical innovations and medical needs. There should be a mutual reinforcement so as to fill the gaps, which could restructure working relationships among government, scientists, and health care providers.