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Published on October 20, 2007

"Over the past 29 years, drug manufacturers have developed 1,556 new drugs but most of them do not cover tropical diseases in developing countries," Sir John Edward Sulston, co-winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Medicine, said yesterday

Only two out some 100 diseases indigenous to the tropics were treatable by medicine - malaria and TB.

Sulston, recognised for his contribution to understanding the development of the worm and particularly the role of programmed cell death, spoke at a conference on "Genes, Equity and Global Medicine" organised by the National Science and Technology Development Agency with British Council support.

"Drug companies must cut their prices to the level where patients can access treatment. Dare to think about designing the market to optimise social benefit."

He backed Thailand breaking drug patents and enforcing compulsory licensing.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation