Medical Innovation for Neglected Patients

Over the past half century, there have been unprecedented improvements in health outcomes, spurred in part by unparalleled scientific progress in the pharmaceutical sector. Yet access to the benefits of medical progress and scientific advancement has not been equitably shared and many innovation gaps remain.

Three fundamental problems persist:

1. Global health needs are not in the driver's seat 

2. Developing countries are left ot "make do" with innovation that primarily caters to conditions in developed countries

3. Even when there is enough of a profit incentive to drive innovation for both developed and developing countries, the resulting products are priced out of reach 

In this report, MSF & DNDi look at what the past 10 years of work have produced to address these health discrepancies, as well as identify critical changes that must be made to address the failure of the international R&D system to deliver on clear global health needs. 

Related Conference: On December 13-14, 2012, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Global Health Program will hold a symposium in New York titled “Lives in the Balance: Delivering Medical Innovation for Neglected Patients and Populations." This symposium will bring together key actors in global public health to reflect on progress and shortcomings of the past decade, while also charting ways to stimulate urgent research and development (R&D) and accelerate the delivery of medical innovations.