Big promises from Big Pharma

GlaxoSmithKline created waves last year with a promise of cheaper drugs and patent waivers in developing countries. In Inside Story, Qudsiya Karrim looks at what the pledge means in practice THE PAST DECADE has been a public relations nightmare for big pharmaceutical companies – and deservedly so, their critics say. Activists and non-government organisations the world over have slated Big Pharma for putting profits ahead of people and vigorously enforcing their intellectual property rights, preventing many from gaining access to life-saving medication. It’s an ugly story told repeatedly – in the media, over dinner, at AIDS conferences and during university seminars – and it has earned the pharmaceutical industry an unmatched notoriety. Early in 2009, responding to the critics, the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, announced a shift in corporate policy that it claimed would benefit the developing world by increasing access to medication and lowering drug prices. Many health activists and NGOs welcomed the company’s commitments, but they question whether it will translate into real gains for the people most affected, and they stress that more needs to be done in the area of HIV/AIDS. Other observers of the industry – including South Africa–based health economists I approached for comment – are waiting to see how much difference GSK’s pledges will make in practice... Read the full article Photo: Curt Carnemark/ World Ban