Thanks to a newly developed partnership launched between the United Nations and pharmaceutical companies, the search for malaria and tuberculosis vaccines has been made easier, with hopes of speeding up its development. The UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has a virtual global health research community, WIPO Re:Search, which allows the sharing of intellectual property. Through this virtual community, pharmaceutical companies, non-profit BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), and public and private sector organizations will be able to share intellectual property pertaining to the research and development on malaria, tuberculosis, and other neglected tropical diseases.
Because the vaccines of such diseases, once developed, must be distributed at such a very low price without a profit margin, the research towards its development will also be made royalty-free. As of right now, there are over 10 organizations that are involved in this research community, one of which includes GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company that developed the first viable malaria vaccine in major trials. The WIPO Re:Search community serves to connect these organizations so that they are working together in developing vaccines that are vital in developing countries. Hopefully, this collaboration will still encourage such companies to work with the same fervor they’ve had before, rather than create a bystander effect.
The development of vaccines for malaria, tuberculosis, and other tropical diseases has the potential to save over billions of lives in this generation and future generations, and also has the potential to eradicate the diseases altogether. With such a large search initiative put into place with the UN, there are hopes that we have come a lot closer to such a globally vital development.
The article can be found here: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40205&Cr=malaria&Cr1=
This partnership sounds great step forward in health research development. This will be especially helpful to the health in developing countries. Outside forces and organizations should help support this partnership to see that is succeeds in its goals to gain helpful research on diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to heard that the United Nations and the Pharmaceutical companies developed the search for malaria and tuberculosis vaccines. This is a good step to help people who living in developing counties. Share research can save money and working together as a group is more efficiency in developing vaccines that are vital in developing countries. By develop more vaccines for malaria, tuberculosis and other tropical diseases are a huge benefit for people to live longer. So people who live in developing countries had hopes for their countries to rise up their economic and protect their citizen from dying.
ReplyDeleteThe union of Pharmaceutical companies and the UN will result in the savior of countless lives, especially in developing regions of the world. The low cost of the vaccine will ensure those financially struggling will be able to receive the treatment. With the creation of these vaccines, we are ultimately increasing the lifespan of individuals, creating a more prosperous society. Now the big obstacle to overcome will be the distribution of these vaccines to those in need in impoverished countries.
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