Princess Royal Berates Drug Firms Over Prices

Britain's Princess Anne last Tuesday attacked drug companies for "simplistic philanthropy" that was failing to tackle disease in developing countries. In a hard-hitting speech to the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Glasgow, Princess Anne said firms should focus on effective long-term measures, such as cutting drug prices, rather than on short-term publicity stunts. The conference was organized by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, of which the princess is an honorary fellow.

Princess Anne warned that basic disease prevention measures, such as immunization programs, were in decline in many countries. She said donations of medicines often failed to cover their distribution costs, which sapped other scarce health spending. The princess, who is also president of the Save the Children Fund, said cheap medicines are urgently needed to treat conditions such as HIV/AIDS, and urged the drug companies to re-examine their pricing policies. Her comments echoed concerns expressed at the conference by Oxfam Great Britain Director Barbara Stocking, who said drug patents were preventing the production of cheap, generic medicines that poorer countries could afford.

"Fair pricing based on the ability to pay would be an important step forward," said the princess. She warned, "If quick results are what companies want, then they run the risk of being accused of simplistic philanthropy rather than rising to the greater challenge of social responsibility." Princess Anne said that more than 150 children are born each day in South Africa with HIV, but that even the cheapest remedies to ease their suffering, such as drugs for breathing problems and fungal infections, are beyond reach. In Africa, she said, the wonder drugs used to prolong the lives of Western AIDS patients are but a "cruel mirage."

Back to other CDC news for October 1, 2001

Previous Updates