Launch of Campaign Promoting a New Model of Pharmaceutical Innovation: "It's Not Healthy"

"The current model of research does not respond to the needs of the population and we are protecting patents so fiercely that we are putting a price on life" was the strong statement made by Juan José Rodríguez Sendín, President of the Spanish Medical Colleges Organisation, during the launch of the No Es Sano (It's Not Healthy) campaign  in Madrid on Wednesday 21 October.

The aim of the campaign—an alliance of more than ten organisations working in different areas—is to get political parties to commit to a reform of the current system of biomedical research so as to ensure universal access to medicines. At the same time, it is promoting an informed public and political debate about the problems inherent in the current R&D and medical innovation system and how they affect access to medicines and the sustainability of public health systems.

"Access to medicines is no longer a problem that only affects developing countries. It has become a global problem that affects us all, and we must find solutions," explained Vanessa López, the Director of Salud por Derecho (Right to Health).

In recent years, we have seen how patients and public health systems in developing countries struggle to pay bills of hundreds of thousands of euros for new drugs to treat hepatitis C virus infection and cancer. Here in Spain, a recent survey revealed that an estimated 2.4 million people had to stop taking at least one of their medications because of the cost involved. Meanwhile, diseases that affect billions of people are still being ignored by the pharmaceutical industry because they lack the desired profit potential, leaving those affected with few or no treatment options.

 "The patent system on which the industry is currently based is becoming a threat to access to global health rather than facilitating that access," warned Gonzalo Fanjul, Director of ISGlobal's Policy department.  

The three main solutions proposed by the campaign to remedy the current system of drug R&D are included in its manifesto:

• introducing transparency across the entire system
• ensuring that all investments made by the state include criteria that safeguard the public interest
• promoting new models of innovation that do not rely exclusively on patents

The It's Not Healthy campaign is organised by Salud por Derecho, Médicos del Mundo, the Spanish Medical Colleges Organisation, OCU, SESPAS, CECU and No Gracias, and is supported by ISGlobal and Oxfam Intermón.

More information

Campaign web site: www.noessano.org/en

Manifesto