Issue Date: 1/16/07
Drug companies challenged
By Thomas Ginsberg
- Page 1 of 1
A network of college students has launched a new campaign to improve poor nations' access to drugs invented in the labs of leading U.S. research universities.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, whose members met in Philadelphia in October, is calling for reform in the way universities license biomedical discoveries to drug companies. Among other things, it wants universities in advance to require companies to set much lower prices on drugs discovered at a university and to allow cheaper generic versions to be sold in the developing world.
University labs are key to drug development, as are premium prices and patent protections.
Many early-stage compounds or concepts that pharmaceutical companies turn into profitable drugs come from academia, often supported by the tax-funded National Institutes of Health.
The network said it is focusing on top NIH-grant recipients, including the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Harvard University, Emory University and Duke University.
Penn's Center for Technology Transfer, which negotiates licenses with drug companies, called the aspiration "laudable" but certain to fail unless many universities go along.
"If a university were to unilaterally put this language into agreements, that's going to be the first thing the company will want to take out," said John Zawad, the center's managing director and a former Sanofi-Aventis S.A. executive. "If you insist, you risk them taking their business to the university next door."
Zawad added he already has met with the Penn students.
Medical students are among the leaders, reflecting what one activist called a growing demand for responsible industry conduct in their chosen profession.
"We're stuck in this pipeline of education for seven years and this is something we feel we can really make an impact on," said Dave Chokshi, a second-year University of Pennsylvania medical student.
Chokshi said the network, which also includes law students and undergraduates at 35 chapters, approved a "Philadelphia Consensus Statement" of principles, which it wants universities to adopt. It hopes to prevail with persuasion but may employ other tactics, such as protest. It is planning a nationwide "Day of Action" on campuses in February.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, whose members met in Philadelphia in October, is calling for reform in the way universities license biomedical discoveries to drug companies. Among other things, it wants universities in advance to require companies to set much lower prices on drugs discovered at a university and to allow cheaper generic versions to be sold in the developing world.
University labs are key to drug development, as are premium prices and patent protections.
Many early-stage compounds or concepts that pharmaceutical companies turn into profitable drugs come from academia, often supported by the tax-funded National Institutes of Health.
The network said it is focusing on top NIH-grant recipients, including the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Harvard University, Emory University and Duke University.
Penn's Center for Technology Transfer, which negotiates licenses with drug companies, called the aspiration "laudable" but certain to fail unless many universities go along.
"If a university were to unilaterally put this language into agreements, that's going to be the first thing the company will want to take out," said John Zawad, the center's managing director and a former Sanofi-Aventis S.A. executive. "If you insist, you risk them taking their business to the university next door."
Zawad added he already has met with the Penn students.
Medical students are among the leaders, reflecting what one activist called a growing demand for responsible industry conduct in their chosen profession.
"We're stuck in this pipeline of education for seven years and this is something we feel we can really make an impact on," said Dave Chokshi, a second-year University of Pennsylvania medical student.
Chokshi said the network, which also includes law students and undergraduates at 35 chapters, approved a "Philadelphia Consensus Statement" of principles, which it wants universities to adopt. It hopes to prevail with persuasion but may employ other tactics, such as protest. It is planning a nationwide "Day of Action" on campuses in February.
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