Glaxo Proposes Patent Pool for Neglected Diseases

On Friday, the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Plc. announced his company will contribute patents for technologies that could boost research into more than a dozen diseases, and he called for other companies to make similar contributions as a way to help the world's poorest countries. "It is right that we explore new ways of stimulating research that might otherwise not happen," Andrew Witty said in remarks prepared for a speech at Harvard Medical School.

The world's second-largest drug maker will cap the price of patented medicines it sells in 50 countries considered to be the world's least developed to no more than 25 percent of the cost in wealthy nations, said Witty. Many of the target countries are in Africa.

Witty said the pharmaceutical industry needs to go further in addressing global health problems by being more flexible on patent protection and pricing in needy countries. "Society expects us to do more in addressing these issues," he said. "We have the capacity to do more and we can do more."

In addition, Glaxo plans to invest 20 percent of profits earned in the least-developed countries to build clinics and other health care infrastructure there, said Witty.

HIV/AIDS, which afflicts millions of Africans, is not on the list of diseases for the patent pool. According to Witty, the pool should focus on diseases with a critical lack of treatment options. The need for greater access to AIDS drugs is being addressed in other ways, he added.

Dr. Tido von Schoen-Angerer, who runs the Access to Essential Medicines Campaign for Doctors Without Borders, said Glaxo should commit its patents to a pool for AIDS drugs started by the international group Unitaid. A patent pool for other diseases is a "good first step," he said, adding it needs to be followed by funding to support new research.

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