[Ip-health] DNDi ALERT: "Waking Up Governments for Research on Neglected Diseases"

Tue May 16 10:41:54 2006

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Waking Up Governments for Research on Neglected Diseases

Geneva, 16 May 2006: The R&D Appeal launched in June 2005 by the Drugs for =
Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), its founding partners, Oxfam, and the=
 BIOS initiative, urges governments to take greater leadership in R&D on ne=
glected diseases. In just over 10 months, more than 5,400 scientists, polic=
y-makers, industry and NGO members (including 19 Nobel laureates) have sign=
ed onto the Appeal. Next week, two resolutions that promote a needs-driven =
R&D agenda will be considered at the World Health Assembly - "A Global Fram=
ework on Essential Health Research & Development" submitted by Brazil and K=
enya, and the report of the WHO Commission on Intellectual Property Rights,=
 Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH).

Guilherme Patriota, Representative of the Brazilian Ministry of External Re=
lations, elaborated, "In the next few days, world governments have an oppor=
tunity to support essential health R&D through really innovative and modern=
 non-proprietary mechanisms. We have begun to move in the right direction b=
ut it is essential that we develop better and new health tools to improve t=
he long-term health both of the patients and of the developing countries."

Both resolutions urge governments to support needs-driven research, set hea=
lth R&D priorities, and promote innovation to develop and deliver much need=
ed health tools adapted to the sick and neglected in developing countries. =
These tools are desperately needed: Chirac and Torreele show in their May 1=
3, 2006, Lancet article that only 1.3% (21 out of 1,556) of the new drugs d=
eveloped over the past 30 years were for neglected tropical diseases and tu=
berculosis, even though these diseases account for 12% of the global diseas=
e burden.

 "Despite ostensible changes in the R&D landscape over the past 10 years, t=
he situation for patients has not changed  and the future is bleak," said D=
r Rowan Gillies, President of the MSF International Council. "We need new d=
iagnostics and medicines today. There has been no leadership to address thi=
s health crisis thus far and unless decisive steps are taken, this disgrace=
ful situation will only get worse."

Similar in tone is the final report of the WHO's Commission on Intellectual=
 Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH): among its recommend=
ations is a new, sustainable framework that will enable other players like =
public-private product development partnerships to research and develop new=
 health tools.

"The Appeal was launched with the idea that only greater government involve=
ment can ultimately correct the fatal imbalance in the current drug develop=
ment model," remarked Dr. Bernard Pecoul. "For the very first time at the W=
orld Health Assembly, two resolutions that advocate extensive government su=
pport for a new global R&D framework, as was called for in the Appeal, will=
 be considered. These resolutions represent a timely opportunity for world =
governments to take a leading role in defining priorities."

________________________________

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) is an  independent, not-=
for-profit drug development initiative established in 2003 by five public-s=
ector research organisations - Kenya Medical Research Institute, Indian Cou=
ncil of Medical Research, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Brazil, Malaysian Ministr=
y of Health, and France's Institut Pasteur; and M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8re=
s.The UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO's Special Programme for Research and Train=
ing in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is a permanent observer to the initiative. W=
ith a current portfolio of 20 projects, DNDi aims to develop new, improved,=
 and field-relevant drugs for neglected diseases, such as malaria, leishman=
iasis, human African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease that afflict the v=
ery poor in developing countries. DNDi also raises awareness about the need=
 for greater R&D for neglected diseases and strengthens existing research c=
apacity in disease-endemic countries. For further information, please consu=
lt http://www.dndi.org <http://www.dndi.org/> .

The CIPIH Report (in 6 languages) is available online: http://www.who.int/i=
ntellectualproperty/documents/thereport <http://www.who.int/intellectualpro=
perty/documents/thereport>

The Brazil- and Kenya-proposed resolution is available online: http://www.w=
ho.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB117/B117_R13-en.pdf <http://www.who.int/gb/ebwh=
a/pdf_files/EB117/B117_R13-en.pdf>

The R&D appeal was launched in June 2005 by DNDi and its founding partners,=
 MSF, Oxfam UK, and BIOS Initiative. More than 5,400 individuals, including=
 19 Nobel laureates, have signed onto the Appeal, which was presented to WH=
O Director-General Lee on 15 May 2006 by Bernard Pecoul and Yves Champey of=
 DNDi.  For further information on the Appeal, please consult http://www.re=
searchappeal.org <http://www.researchappeal.org/> .

________________________________

###

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Dr Bernard Pecoul, co=
ntact Ann-Marie SEVCSIK at amsevcsik@dndi.org <mailto:amsevcsik@dndi.org> ;=
 +1-646-258-8131 or +41 (0)79 814 9147)

Ann-Marie Sevcsik

Press Officer / Medical Writer

Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative

1 Place St Gervais

1201 Geneva

Switzerland

+41 (0)22 906 9230/50 (office/direct)

+41 (0)79 814 9147 (mobile)

+ 41(0)22 906 9231 (fax)

amsevcsik@dndi.org <mailto:amsevcsik@dndi.org>

www.dndi.org <http://www.dndi.org>