Drug firms must redouble efforts for world's poor
to help improve the health of countries in the third world. They
will also be completely unprepared to face the increasing demand
for drugs for diseases other than Aids.
That is the view expressed by The Pharmaceutical Shareholders Group (PSG), which has spent a year scrutinising the policies and plans of seven of the leading drug companies. They have concluded that while the industry has done just enough to provide Aids drugs in poor countries, it is totally unprepared for any future drug shortages in the developing world.
Many observers have highlighted the contributions drug companies made to the Aids epidemic as only reacting as a crisis develops, merely a way of silencing mounting criticism over its reluctance in the past to provide more assistance to Aids-stricken countries.
The court case bought by 39 drug companies in 2001 to try to stop the South African government obtaining drugs from a cheaper source is an example the PSG point towards. Disscusions with the World Trade Organisations over patents, which kept drug prices high, has left the pharmaceutical industry in a less than favourable light.
But while the public health crisis in emerging markets would become a bigger challenge in the future, it was not convinced companies had a proactive and forward-looking approach to tackling the issue.
In a detailed report, the group urge the drug companies to initiate a "proactive response" to repair the reputation of the industry and its ability to command high prices for its drugs in the developed world.
The report goes onto claim that many of the companies have made "considerable progress," reserving praise for GlaxoSmithKline and Merck for cutting Aids drug prices in poor countries and launching other programmes to help with diseases in developing countries.
As the Aids epidemic continues to leave a trail of destruction, the awakening of sleeping giants such as Brazil and China ensures that "the public health crisis in emerging markets is going to become an even a greater challenge in the future," said the report.
Groups such as Medecins sans Frontieres have campaigned vigourously for a price reduction in third world countries of not just certain drugs to treat selected diseases, but for all drugs.
