ZKEA

Emerging Diseases : Biological Terrorism : Biological Warfare

Drug Development, Vaccines

In the third world there has been the additional problem of social or governmental breakdown. India is one example. In India the rate of polio is increasing. Given polio is easily blocked via childhood vaccination, how is that possible? The problem is one of education and governmental failure. Among Indian poor (especially Muslims), there is growing distrust of vaccination. Rumors have been spread that polio vaccination in particular will cause sterility. Others detect a conspiracy against them. Therefore many families are hostile to these programs and refuse to get vaccinated. As a result, polio has returned with a vengeance. India, at least, has a functioning health-care system, albeit one that must wrestle with great poverty. Other nations are less lucky and now face even greater challenges.

There has also been a problem with new-drug development, particularly for diseases that primarily afflict poorer areas. Bluntly put, poor people in undeveloped countries lack the money to buy drugs, and thus there is little economic incentive for drug firms to pursue research in these areas.

This problem is exacerbated by the rapid increase of drug-resistance in many diseases. Unfortunately, microorganisms are a moving target. They rapidly evolve and develop genetic counter-measures to currently available drugs. Thus as multi-drug antibiotic resistance (MDR) has evolved in a variety of diseases there have been little or no new drugs to fall back on. The result is increasing tragedy for millions of people.

A number of non-profit organizations are attempting to fill this void by funding research into cures for diseases that otherwise would attract little for-profit interest. A good example of this are the various groups focused on malaria, such as the Bill Gates Foundation. There have been some inspired governmental efforts as well.

In addition, some drug companies have adopted two-tier pricing, selling their drugs more cheaply in third-world countries compared to in the richer developed world. This is particularly true for HIV medications. Even so, it is rare for such cheaper generics to be fully available everywhere. Such a drug might be found cheaply in Thailand, for example, while remaining unavailable in Botswana. It is very difficult

Some activist groups accuse the drug-companies of predatory pricing and seek avenues in which to force low-priced availability of expensive drugs. While laudatory in goals, these efforts are usually short-sighted and do not take into account economic realities. Drug development is expensive and risky. If firms that do such development discover that they can not recoup their investment, then obviously new drug development will slow even further. One possible solution to this riddle would be for governments and world health bodies to shoulder the burden, subsidizing effective drug access for the world's poor. Unfortunately, there is little political will to do this. This failure is doubly unfortunate. Beyond the obvious moral issues, such an attitude presents health risks for the entire planet. No country is an island. Allowing disease to spread, entrench and evolve in one population means that eventually this disease will strike other populations as well. Microorganisms do not respect national boundaries or discern between rich and poor. This is an ancient lesson we may need to relearn soon.

Link: Business Week: Vaccine Development Lagging
Link: Study: The Lack Of New Drugs For Neglected Diseases
Link: WHO Case Study: Disincentives Against Developing New TB Drugs
Link: Village Voice: South Africa And AIDS Drugs (orphan drugs,fluconazole)
Link: Distrust Opens the Door For Polio
Link: Polio And Vaccine History