Alternatives to the drug research and development model

Germán Velásquez

doi:10.18294/sc.2015.413

Alternatives to the drug research and development model

Germán Velásquez Doctor en Economía de la Salud. Consejero Especial para Salud y Desarrollo, South Center, Ginebra, Suiza.

Published: 4 March 2015

https://doi.org/10.18294/sc.2015.413

Abstract views

582

Metrics Loading ...

PDF

PDF (Español)

Abstract

One-third of the global population lacks access to medications; the situation is worse in poor countries, where up to 50% of the population lacks access. The failure of current incentive systems based in intellectual property to offer the necessary pharmaceutical products, especially in the global south, is a call to action. Problems related to drug access cannot be solved solely through improvements or modifications in the existing incentive models. The intellectual property system model does not offer sufficient innovation for developing countries; new mechanisms that effectively promote innovation and drug access simultaneously are needed. A binding international agreement on research and development, negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization, could provide an adequate framework for guaranteeing priority-setting, coordination, and sustainable financing of drugs at reasonable prices for developing countries.

Keywords: Access to Drugs, Patents, Intellectual Property, International Agreements, Innovation

References

1. UNAIDS. World AIDS Day Report 2012 [Internet]. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2012 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/JC2434_WorldAIDSday_results_en_1.pdf.

2. Velásquez G. Acceso a medicamentos en perspectiva global: retos, respuestas y derechos. En: Seuba Hernández X, coordinador. Salud Pública y patentes farmacéuticas: Cuestiones de economía, política y derecho. Barcelona: J. M. Bosch Editor; 2008.

3. Boulet P, Garrison C, Hoen E. Patentes de medicamentos en el punto de mira: Compartiendo conocimientos prácticos sobre las patentes farmacéuticas. Madrid: MSF; 2003.

4. Correa C. The Uruguay round and drugs. En: Lobo F, Velásquez G, editores. Medicines and the new economic environment. Madrid: Civitas; 1998.

5. Even P, Debre B. Guide des 4000 médicaments útiles, inútiles ou dangereux. Paris: Cherche Midi; 2012.

6. Cabut S. Le scandale du prix des médicaments. Le Monde [Internet]. 11 nov 2013 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2013/11/13/le-scandale-du-prix-des-medicaments_3510819_3246.html.

7. Experts in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. The price of drugs for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a reflection of the unsustainable prices of cancer drugs: from the perspective of a large group of CML experts. Blood [Internet]. 2013;121(22):4439-4442 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/121/22/4439.

8. Goldacre B. Bad pharma: how drug companies mislead doctors and harm patients. London: Fourth Estate; 2012.

9. Santi P. Hépatite C: le nouveau hold-up des labos. Le Monde [Internet]. 8 jul 2014 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2014/07/08/nouveaux-traitements-de-l-hepatite-c-le-hold-up-des-labos_4452689_1650684.html.

10. Light D, Warburton R. Demythologizing the high costs of pharmaceutical research. BioSocieties. 2011;6(1):34-50.

11. DNDi. An innovative approach to R&D for neglected patients: Ten years of experience and lessons learned by DNDi [Internet]. Geneva: DNDi; 2013 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.dndi.org/images/stories/pdf_aboutDNDi/DNDiModel/DNDi_Modelpaper_2013.pdf.

12. Commission of the European Communities. Commission staff working document: Accompanying the report from the Commission on Competition Policy 2008 [Internet]. Brussels; 2009 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/publications/annual_report/2008/part2_en.pdf.

13. Velásquez G, Seuba X. Repensando la salud global: un tratado internacional sobre innovación y desarrollo de productos farmacéuticos [Internet]. Ginebra: Centro del Sur; 2012 [citado 22 abr 2014]. Disponible en: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s21393es/s21393es.pdf.

14. Asamblea Mundial de la Salud. Estrategia mundial y plan de acción sobre salud pública, innovación y propiedad intelectual (WHA61.21) [Internet]. Geneva: OMS; 2008 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s21429es/s21429es.pdf.

15. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Salud pública, innovación y derechos de propiedad intelectual: Informe de la Comisión de Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual, Innovación y Salud Pública. Ginebra: OMS; 2006.

16. Naciones Unidas. Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales [Internet]. 1976 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.ohchr.org/SP/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx.

17. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Constitución de la Organización Mundial de la Salud [Internet]. 2006 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_sp.pdf.

18. Taylor A, Bettcher D. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: a global ‘‘good’’ for public health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2000;78(7):920-929.

19. World Health Organization. WHA52.18 Towards a WHO framework convention on tobacco control [Internet]. 1999 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/wha_eb/wha52_18/en/#.

20. World Health Organization. WHA49.17 International framework convention for tobacco control [Internet]. 1996 [citado 10 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/wha_eb/wha49_17/en/.

21. World Health Organization. Global tobacco treaty enters into force with 57 countries already committed [Internet]. 2005 [citado 20 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr09/en/.

22. Murphy SD. Adoption of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. American Journal of International Law. 2003;97(3):689-691.

23. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Convenio Marco de la OMS para el Control del Tabaco [Internet] 2003 [citado 20 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9243591010.pdf?ua=1.

24. De Seixas Corrêa LF. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2002;80(12):924.

25. Devillier N. La Convention-cadre pour la lutte anti-tabac. Revue Belge du Droit International. 2005;(1/2):701-728.

26. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Informe mundial 2010 sobre los progresos realizados en la aplicación del Convenio Marco de la OMS para el Control del Tabaco [Internet]. 2010 [citado 20 jul 2014]. Disponible en: http://www.who.int/fctc/reporting/global_progress_report_june_sp.pdf?ua=1.