Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 60

to a lesser extent, in Great Britain (Wellcome) which are engaged in the
development of new drugs against tropical diseases. In the US it is mainly the
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research which is involved in research in this
field. " ( 4 7 )
Amongst the latest and most useful medicines developed for Third World needs
are rifampicin for the treatment of TB and leprosy (the product of collaboration
betweeen Ciba-Geigy and Lepetit); Roche's new antimalarial Fansidar, which is
effective against chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria, and Bayer's new
schistosomicide Praziquantel, which is less toxic than early drugs.' 48 ' Wellcome's
commitment to research into tropical diseases dates back to the turn of the century.
It has since brought out a range of drugs including treatments for malaria, intestinal
parasites and a vaccine to cater for the needs of a minority threatened by Pig-bel,
a disease which claimed a few thousand lives each year in Papua New Guinea.
Research is currently being undertaken by Wellcome into the six major tropical
diseases, which are also under investigation by scientists of other manufacturers,
including Roche and Ciba-Geigy.|491
Other companies such as ICI and May & Baker have produced useful antimalarials
and Janssen, Bayer and Merck Sharp & Dohme have contributed anthelmintics,
relevant to Third World needs. These are just some examples, but by no means
a comprehensive list of manufacturers' valuable contributions to tropical medicine.
At least a dozen of the major research-based companies are actively cooperating
with WHO'S Special Programme for Research and Training into Tropical
Diseases. l51" The amount of these companies' research budgets specifically
directed towards the needs of developing countries is comparatively small.15" But
the majority of manufacturers spend nothing on research into Third World
diseases.(52)
I n fact, out of total research and development expenditure of around $5,000 million
(£2,100 million) in 1980, according to an industry analyst, "The international
pharmaceutical industry spent over $50 million [ £21 million ] on specifically
'third world' drug research". (53) In other words, in 1980 the international
industry overall allocated just 1 % of research and development spending to poor
world diseases - or about half as much as it costs to develop just one new drug.
The extent to which the specific needs of the Third World are neglected is
pinpointed by Andras November of the Geneva Institute of Development Studies.
He identifies 87 diseases specific to poor countries. Of these, there are vaccinations
for ten, and satisfactory drug treatment available for a further 23. But there are
no drugs to treat 32 diseases and the remaining 22 can only be treated with very
unsatisfactory drugs, with toxic side effects.l541

REVOLUTION WITHOUT THE POOR
Meanwhile leading manufacturers continue to increase their research expenditure.
Pfizer for example is committed to a 20% a year increase for each of the next
five years.(55> The industry has high expectations of exciting new technological
53