Pharmaceutical Technologist - January 2008 - (Page 10)

We can all do more Unfortunately, our sympathy doesn’t go far in treating those in developing countries who do not have access to medicines. Instead of assuming that any effort on our part to help these people is futile, why not do something and make a real difference. Morpheus T he international biopharmaceutical industry has been a crucial force in developing new medicines. Members of the public may doubt company intentions, and the media often snipes about the way they do business, but there is a wealth of evidence showing that most novel drugs that have reached the market have been the work of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. If we consider the future, the range of technologies being brought into new drug development offer even more exciting approaches to tackling previously untreatable diseases. The reality Given this situation, it comes as a shock to be reminded of the number of people that do not have access to even the simplest medicines. According to current World Health Organization estimates, one third of the population in developing countries lack access to essential medicines. All of us in the pharmaceutical industry are well aware of this state of affairs, as we are often blamed for exacerbating the situation, but how often do you think about it in your daily job? We frequently pride ourselves on the fact that we are helping to bring a new drug to market and that it will treat members of society, but, quite honestly, we should also feel a collective shame that the vast majority of people in the world will never hear about the medicine being developed, let alone get the chance to benefit from it. When I’ve talked to colleagues throughout the industry there is certainly no lack of sympathy for the plight of those who lack access to essential medicines, but there is a feeling of helplessness along the lines of: “Well what can we do about it?” The truth is that the companies we work for do not exist to perform charitable work, and ensuring that they make a profit each year through their usual business activities is probably difficult enough to achieve. Therefore, improving access to healthcare is not on the radar of many companies and is of little interest to senior management. The media may like to highlight the billions of dollars of profit the pharmaceutical industry generates and the bonuses awarded to top executives, but those of us in middle and lower positions do not benefit from these riches. Life is far from ‘rosey’ in the pharmaceutical industry when you know job cuts could come at any time and that the 10 JANUARY 2008 PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGIST

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Pharmaceutical Technologist - January 2008 Contents Editor's Comment News Morpheus Market Watch Lagging Japanese Drug R&D Croatia’s Innovation Integrating PAT with Biopharmaceutical Development and Manufacture Q&A

Pharmaceutical Technologist - January 2008

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