andrew gray march 10, 2009 . poverty basic nutrition and clean water shelter education basic medical...
TRANSCRIPT
Andrew Gray
March 10, 2009
www.ubc-uaem.org
Poverty Basic nutrition and clean water Shelter Education Basic medical care (public health)
Lack of access to health care workers
Lack of access to health care tools
Poverty Basic nutrition and clean water Shelter Education Basic medical care (public health)
Lack of access to health care workers
Lack of access to health care tools
Fundamental to basic careWHO lists 312 essential
medicines33% of the world has no access
*Cough*
Billions of people around the world don’t have access to the medicines they need in order to survive and thrive.
Why?
The systematic inability of individuals in developing countries to obtain existing and essential medicines
Mostly tropical infections
Primarily affect the poor
The top 13 tropical infections currently infect 1 billion people world wide
The research gap: for many of these diseases, safe, effective treatments do not exist
The #1 cause of death of children under 5 in Africa
Current treatments:Resistance problems for all drugs except
artemisininFrequent shortages of artemisinin
Reduced African GNP by 1.3% from 1965 to 1990, for a total reduction of 50%. 1
1Gallup, J. and Sachs, J. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2001; 64 (1, 2) S., p.90
~50,000 deaths worldwide / year. Main treatments require
hospitalization for several weeksSerious adverse side effects, IV
administrationBetter treatments available, but
expensive Lack of effective diagnostics:
testing is complicated and requires highly experienced staff.
Enlarged spleen & liver in VL patient.
The “big three”: HIV/AIDS Malaria Tuberculosis
“Most neglected” diseases:
African sleeping sickness
Dengue fever Leishmaniasis Schistosomiais Chagas disease Leprosy & many
others
The research gap
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Cardiovascular Cancer HIV /A IDS Tuberculosis Malaria Tropical diseases
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Cardiovascular Cancer HIV /A IDS Tuberculosis Malaria Tropical diseases
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Cardiovascular Cancer HIV /A IDS Tuberculosis Malaria Tropical diseases
Trouiller et al., Lancet 2002, 359:2188-94
Relative contribution to global disease burden (DALYs)
Proportion of new drugs, 1975-1999
Identify promising leadsFormulate as a pill (e.g.)
Assess safety and effectiveness
RegisterMass-produce
University research is vital to the development of new medicines.
15 of the 21 most important drugs introduced in the US between 1965 and 1992 were developed using knowledge and techniques from federally funded research. 2
2 The benefits of medical research and the role of the NIH. United States Joint Economic Committee, 2000.
Researchers develop new technologies
Universities patent these technologies
Patent rights are licensed to industry
Industry assesses safety and efficacy
Antiretroviral used to treat HIV
Discovered at Yale
Licensed to Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)
BMS trade name: Zerit
Price in 2001: $10,349
Price in 2001: $10,349
Price in 2008: $87
(generic production)
Goals:
Access to essential medicines
Neglected disease research
Adopted in 2007 UBC is committed to:
1. Ensuring the world’s poor get fair access to its technologies2. Seeking partnerships to provide funding for ND research areas3. Developing new technologies to benefit the developing world.
2007: UBC establishes first GAL module in Canada
Dr. Kishor Wasan’s lab develops a novel formulation of the drug Amphotericin B (Amp B)
Amp B is efficacious in treatment of blood borne fungal infections as well as VL
Why? - Intravenous injection requiring up to 30 days in hospital - Expensive, loss of income during treatment, low availability
Solution: Amp B that can be orally administered- Easily transported and administered, less expensive, accessible even in remote regions with minimal medical facilities.
iCo Therapeutics will commercialize oral formulation
iCo has global rights to make/sell drug in developed world as a treatment for blood-borne fungal infections
Will ensure availability of drug to developing countries to treat VL through subsidized pricing.
UBC’s University-Industry Liaison Office and the UBC Chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines worked to formalize agreement.
Developing global access strategies at other universities
Funding for Neglected Disease research at UBC and elsewhere
1. Join UAEM (or find us on Facebook)2. Tell your friends/mom/everyone
you know what you learned today. 3. Your career? 4. Advocate with us – eg. CAMR
reform.5. Talk to your professors.
