Generic Production

Our ability to manufacture drugs is a scientific breakthrough that has made it possible for humanity to flourish and evolve by reducing the threat sickness can impose on our lives significantly. However, millions around the world are not afforded the opportunity to access these life saving drugs due to a myriad of factors that come into play. One of these factors is the role drug patenting has come to play within the way these drugs are researched, produced and ultimately marketed and because of the nature of business and the high profitability of life saving drugs they are most often directed towards those who are more likely to be able to pay for what has, if one reads the numbers, effectively become a luxury. “Today the World Health Organization, or WHO, recognizes seventeen major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).”[1] “These diseases, along with malaria and tuberculosis, affect over 1 billion people each year. In the case of malaria and tuberculosis, the diseases are often fatal.”[2] However, since these diseases are almost exclusively present in the developing world and those affected often have no resources to purchase them, the incentive to actually produce a stock to be marketed is often low to non-existent in pharmaceuticals.

As stated by David Brandling-Bennett, M.D., deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization during a speech, the result of this way of conducting business has made it difficult, or even next to impossible, for large segments of the population to get proper access to drugs. “We are not attending to the needs of those who are the neediest,”[3] he argued. “Governments should be held to the standard where they can ensure that basic health services of adequate quality are provided equitably. Of the $2.3 trillion spent on health care annually around the world, 90 percent is spent in industrialized nations. We are not addressing the issue of disparity in health.”[4]

“According to the World Health Organization, patented triple-combination therapy medicines for H.I.V./AIDS cost $10,000 per person per year in industrialized countries, while generics can be purchased across the developing world from an Indian company, Cipla, for less than $200 a year. “.[5] This difference between the companies directly caused by the Indian government’s passing of pro-generic legislation that made it possible for its generic pharmaceuticals to grow and in turn render essential medicines available and affordable for both the people of India and neighboring poor populations.

These laws, introduced to curb India’s mounting public health issues, were made to make it more difficult for big Pharma companies to get patents in India where they could influence the market with their proprietary practices and prices. They make it possible for governments to regulate which part of the drug market in their countries pharmaceuticals get to access and which they do not, all in an effort to further medical access for the poor and leveling the playing field when it comes to dealing with very powerful companies. Generic drugs are a valuable asset a poorer population can have against the high prices, general unavailability and almost blatant disregard for urgent but mostly unprofitable diseases.

References:

1. [1] O’Brien, Stephen, Evan Harris, and David Drew. "The Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Challenge We Could Rise to – Will We?" (2009): 1-15.Http://www.who.int/. W.H.O, 2009. Web. 11 May 2015.
2. [2] Hoffmire, Josh. "Op-ed: We Must Work Together to Fight Neglected Diseases." Op-ed: We Must Work Together to Fight Neglected Diseases. Http://national.deseretnews.com/, 4 Dec. 2014. Web. 06 May 2015. http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2950/we-must-work-together-to-fight-neglected-diseases.html.
3. [3] "Dr. David Brandling- Bennett - The Gates Foundation Perspective on Malaria Elimination." Vimeo. Accessed May 1, 2015. https://vimeo.com/16439221.
4. [4] Ibid
5. [5] GREWAL, David Singh, and Amy Kapczynski. "Let India Make Cheap Drugs." NYTimes.com. The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 11 May 2015.