Fatal Imbalance:
The Crisis in Research and Development
for Drugs for Neglected Diseases
A report by the MSF Access to Essential Medicines Campaign and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Working Group.
Report shows near empty pipeline of drugs for diseases of the world's poor
October 9, 2001, Geneva - Virtually no new drugs are being developed for diseases that predominantly affect the poor, according to "Fatal Imbalance", a report issued today by MSF.
Fatal Imbalance Press release
You can download the complete report,
including full page images (7.5mb),
in PDF format here
A PDF version complete with text but omitting full page images (516k) here
PROFILES: Teno: Profile of Teno, suffering from kala azar and about to have his twentieth injection for treatment. Bianga: Profile of Banga, suffering from sleeping sickness Lida: Profile of Lida, who has tuberculosis Pau: Profile of Pau suffering from malaria.
MYTHS:
The typical cost of bringing a new drug to market is approximately US$500 million for research and development.
There is little investment in tropical diseases because there is weak patent protection in the countries most affected by these illnesses. After 2006, when all countries will have implemented TRIPS (international trade rules that mandate minimum 20-year patents), drugs will increase in developing countries.
If we introduce new medicines into poorer countries, we will accelerate the development of resistance. We don't necessarily need new drugs but we need to better use the ones we have.
