Might just work!

The NY Times has a very interesting article about a new breed of pharmaceuticals companies, ones that don't seek any profits. One of the first such charities is the Institute for OneWorld Health, and its first target is black fever, a disease that kills half a million people world-wide. Thing is, we already have a promising drug to cure the disease, the antibiotic paromomycin identified in the 1960s. Why hasn't this drug been developed yet? Because black fever affects a (relatively) small group of people who are very poor. Since pharmaceutical companies are required to make money, this kind of venture is unattractive.

Enter the new breed of pharmaceutical companies: underwritten by donations from other charities, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, these new charities are working on moving promising but unprofitable drugs into the marketplace. This noble cause is difficult, as you can imagine, taking time, lots of negotiations, working with other charities and groups, and most importantly, working with the big pharma companies that actually identify (and then abandon) promising drugs.

It's a fascinating new idea, and one, I'm sure will take off. People will mock these charities, but there are enough rich people and scientists in this world to care for fellow suffering humans. No doubt, the big pharma companies may get upset by this kind of competition, but the NY Times article hints at ways of working around such problems. Exciting times lie ahead!

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