Essential Medicines and the University Challenge: Promoting Local Research for Global Impact For more information, please visit: UAEM home page: UBC chapter: ubc-uaem.org U n i v e r s i t i e s A l l i e d f o r E s s e n t i a l M e d i c i n e s Universities Allied for Essential Medicines: Our Role UAEM is a student-led organization with chapters at more than 40 major research universities across North America, Europe and around the world. Our work includes: Advocating for equitable access to the fruits of university biomedical research. In particular, ensuring that drugs developed in campus labs are available in developing countries at prices patients can afford. Promoting research on neglected diseases: those diseases that predominantly affect people who are too poor to constitute a market attractive to private sector investment Advancing legislation that protects access to essential medicines, such as the Canadian Access to Medicines Regime of 2004, which permits production of affordable, generic versions of patented medicines for export to developing nations. Supporting global health education by advocating for open access to biomedical knowledge and sharing information about health technology development and deployment. We run educational conferences, workshops, and shape university curricula to more accurately reflect global health needs. Neglected Tropical Diseases Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are infectious diseases that are common in tropical climates. NTDs are inextricably tied to poverty and can cause lifelong disabilities; they lead to malnutrition and affect the development of children. The term “neglected” arises from the insufficient funding available for research into the prevention and treatment of these conditions. Why Are Prices So High? Drug development is expensive - it can cost up to $1 billion to bring new discoveries from bench to bedside. In order to recover these costs, companies are granted patents: exclusive rights to develop, produce and sell the drugs. As a result, essential medicines can be too expensive for many people to afford. Target Validation Biochemical Assay Screening Leads Animal Studies Drug Metabolism Safety Assessment Clinical Trials I, II and III Molecular Target Cost: $200 million - $1 billion Time: years Patent Pharmaceutical Company for Brand Name Drug A.A. B.B. C. D.D. E.E. Universities Have a Role Most novel therapeutics originate in university labs, and are licensed to pharmaceutical companies for further development. We have the opportunity and responsibility to negotiate licenses that protect low- cost access to the poor. Global Access Licensing at UBC In 2007, The University-Industry Liaison Office, in collaboration with UAEM, developed the Global Access Licensing (GAL) principles at UBC. Under GAL, when UBC licenses its health technologies, it will negotiate ‘at cost’ access in the developing world and will seek out new partnerships to provide funding for neglected disease research. Patent Pharmaceutical Company for Brand Name Drug Pharmaceutical Company for Generic Drug A. B. C. D. E. F. A WORLD OF HOPE Before ARV Therapy 6 Months After ARV Therapy Stavudine, an antiretroviral (ARV), was originally developed at Yale University and later exclusively licensed to Bristol-Myers Squibb, which sold it at a prohibitively high price ($10439 per year). Pressure from civil society groups in South Africa allowed for the import of a low-cost generic version of stavudine to treat poor patients like Joseph (pictured), for only $87 per year. The Access Gap 10 million lives could be saved each year by providing better access to existing essential medicines.. One important barrier to access is the high cost of drugs. Success Story Through GAL at UBC, Dr. Kishor Wasan’s oral reformulation of Amphotericin B will be made affordable to patients in developing countries by iCo Therapeutics. Amphotericin B can be used to treat fungal infections and visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease which clams over 50,000 lives each year. PARTNERS UAEM works in collaboration with the Neglected Global Diseases initiative (NGDi) at UBC, which brings together experts from a variety of disciplines to develop treatments for the world’s most neglected diseases. We also continue to work with the UILO to promote Global Access Licensing. Young patient suffering from visceral leishmaniasis (left), Global prevalence of leishmaniasis (above), Dr. Kishor Wasan (below)