Glaxo changes policy towards poor

February 14, 2009

Saturday, February 14,

2009

Glaxo

changes policy towards poor

in Paris ·

2/14/2009 05:02:00 AM ET

Many people in

the developing world are suspicious when it comes to Big Pharma. In Africa you

hear stories about alleged drug testing on unsuspecting people and in fact,

Nigeria has filed lawsuits alleging such allegations. You hear plenty of rumors

- some true, some bizarrely false - but nevertheless, any time Big Pharma

moves, people around the world are cautious. It would be great for everyone if

this new direction by GSK is honest and for real. The

Guardian:

The world's

second biggest pharmaceutical company is to radically shift its attitude to

providing cheap drugs to millions of people in the developing world.

In a major change of strategy, the new head of GlaxoKline, Witty,

has told the Guardian he will slash prices on all medicines in the poorest countries,

give back profits to be spent on hospitals and clinics and – most

ground-breaking of all – share knowledge about potential drugs that are

currently protected by patents.

Witty says he believes drug companies have an obligation to help the poor get treatment.

He challenges other pharmaceutical giants to follow his lead.

Pressure on the industry has been growing over the past decade, triggered by

the Aids catastrophe.

Drug companies have been repeatedly criticised for failing to drop their prices

for HIV drugs while millions died in Africa and Asia. Since then, campaigners

have targeted them for defending the patents, which keep their prices high,

while attempting to crush competition from generic manufacturers, who undercut

them dramatically in countries where patents do not apply.

The reputation of the industry suffered a further damaging blow with the

publication and film of le Carré's book The Constant Gardener, which

depicted drug companies as uncaring and corrupt.

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