E-DRUG: Workshop on Drug Development announcement

[Patrice Trouiller <pat.trouiller@wanadoo.fr>]

E-DRUG Workshop on Drug Development announcement
-------------------------------------------------------------

DRUGS FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, STIMULATING DEVELOPMENT AND SECURING
AVAILABILITY
October 14-15th 1999, Paris (France)
1st. announcement

A workshop on " Drugs for communicable diseases, stimulating development and
securing availability " will be held from October 14-15th  October 1999 in
Paris (France). It is being organized by the Médecins sans Frontières
Foundation (MSF) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO -
CDS and HTP departments).

Therapeutic options for treating communicable diseases are extremely
limited. While the commercial drug industry has been prolific, it has been
ignoring diseases that kill the majority of people in poor countries. Within
the context of the current system, companies will always be able to realize
a higher return by marketing a new obesity drug in Western countries than by
pioneering a novel malaria treatment.

The workshop is being convened to try to repair the links that have been
broken between research, development and marketing. Without significant
market incentive, how can existing or future promising compounds be
developed into the next generation of effective disease treatments ?

The workshop will be divided in 2 sessions:

- a first session designed for 60-80 invited experts (14-15th October) will
be devoted to working together to increase understanding and develop
practical solutions to the problem of stimulating drug development ;
- an open session (15th October) intended for all international
organizations representatives, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, international
public health community and representatives from governments.

Preliminary scientific programme is given below.

Patrice Trouiller
Bernard Pécoul
Médecins sans Frontières Foundation (MSF)

+++
Request for more information and applications for the open session should be
sent to :
Ms Lucie Arm or Mr Daniel Berman (MSF, Foundation)
MSF Switzerland
Tel. 41-22 849 84 05
E-mail : Lucie_ARM@geneva.msf.org  /  Daniel_BERMAN@geneva.msf.org
+++

DRUGS FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
STIMULATING DEVELOPMENT AND SECURING AVAILABILITY

OCTOBER 14&15, 1999 - PARIS

Preliminary scientific program (07.1999)

Scientific Committee:
Pierre Ambroise-Thomas (University of Grenoble, F), Olivier Brandicourt
(Parke Davis, Can.), Jérome Dumoulin (economist, University of Grenoble,
F.), Peter Folb (University of Cape Town, S.A.), Jean-Pierre Helenport
(OTECI, F), Marouf Keita (Bamako Hospital, Mali), François Meyer (
Rhône-Poulenc-Rorer, F.), Piero Olliaro (WHO TDR, Switz.), Michael Reich
(Harvard, USA), Brian Schuster (WRAIR, USA), Patrice Trouiller (MSF, F.),
Henri Vial (CNRS - University of Montpellier, F.).


1. EXPERT'S WORKSHOP: OCTOBER 14, 1999

+  GENERAL INTRODUCTION
     - Pharmaceutical R&D for tropical diseases : is there really a
political willingness ?
     (Susan D. Foster - Boston University School of Public Health, USA)
+  ROUNDTABLE I : Drug discovery and development outcomes of the last 20
years
     Chairperson : Nick White (Mahidol University, Thailand)
     Discussion Leader: Tim G. Evans (The Rockefeller Foundation, New York)

     - R&D outcomes between 1975-1997, drug development trends
     (Patrice Trouiller - MSF, F)

     - Respective public and private sector contributions to the development
     of new drugs
     (Amir Attaran - The Malaria project, Washington, USA)

     Case Study:
     - The development and then subsequent suspension of production and
     marketing of eflornithine for human African trypanosomiasis
     (Felix Kuzoe - WHO, Ghana)

     - Tuberculosis: lack of research and the absence of new drugs
     (Eric Goemaere - MSF, Belgium)

+    ROUNDTABLE II: Environment of drug development and marketing
     Chairperson: Pierre Ambroise-Thomas (Grenoble University, F)
     Discussion Leaders: Carlos M. Morel (WHO.TDR, CH), Olivier Brandicourt
     (Parke Davis Co., Can.)

     - The R&D process and its costs
     (William S. Comanor - University of California Los Angeles, USA)

     - Can we consider the current regulatory environment as a barrier ?
     (David P. Fidler - Indiana University School of Law, USA)

     - Implications of regulatory requirements on clinical development in
     developing countries
     (Peter I. Folb - University of Cape Town, SA)

     - Marketing environment of pharmaceuticals in developing countries
     (Denis Broun - WHO, CH)

     Case Study:
     - The case of praziquantel and its lessons
     (Ramesh Govindaraj - World Bank, USA)

OCTOBER 15, 1999

+   ROUNDTABLE III: New strategies and approaches for the future
     Chairperson: Dyann Wirth (Harvard, USA)
     Discussion Leaders: Mohamed Dicko (Mali), Krisantha Weerasuriya
     (University of  Colombo, Sri Lanka)

     -What is the contribution of the research-based pharmaceutical industry
?
     (Harvey Bayle - IFPMA, Geneva)

     - The new medicines for malaria venture
     (Robert Ridley - WHO.TDR, CH)

     Case Study:
     - The development and registration of artemether, a triangular
development
     (Jean-Pierre Helenport - OTECI, Paris, F)

+   Solutions outside "big pharma" -- Technology transfer ?
     Can a candidate that is not appealing to large multinational
     pharmaceutical companies, be interesting to small or medium size
     companies in Western or  mid-level countries ?

     - Product development and production in disease-endemic countries
     (P. Olliaro, Y. Yuthavong, V. Navaratnam - WHO.TDR, CH / Malaysia and
     Thailand)

+   Can specific frameworks offset market failures ? Are orphan drug act
schemes for rare diseases
     adaptable to tropical diseases? Can we directly transpose strategies
used in the vaccine
     market to the drug market (tiered pricing, market segmentation,
partnership with the private sector... )?
     Can donation programs (e.g., ivermectin, malarone) be an effective
means of  offsetting  market
     failures?

     - The future European orphan drug act for rare diseases
     (Emer Cooke - European Union Commission, DG 3, Belgium)

     - Drug donation for control of communicable diseases ?
     (Dele Kale - WHO)

2. OPEN SESSION :

     Defining solutions to stimulate development and availability of drugs
for communicable diseases
     Open Session: Half-Day Meeting Open to the Public

     Welcome and Introduction
     Moderator
     (to be invited:  )

     - Report-Outs From Expert Roundtables
     Workshop Recommendations

     - Solutions from Within
     What developing countries need to augment their drug development
capability
     Realistic short and long-term goals
     (to be invited: drug development expert from developing country)

     - A Scientist's Perspective
     Role and responsibilities of the researcher in today's market driven
world
    ( to be invited:  )

     - WHO's Role in Improving Drug Development Defining priorities for the
development of new drugs
     WHO's role in developing drugs for neglected diseases
     (David Heymann, Director Communicable Diseases Cluster, WHO)

     - World Bank's Point-of-View
     How the bank can support countries in increasing their capacity to
develop drugs
     (O. Panenborg, World Bank)

     - Donor Country Role and Responsibilities
     How can a market be created for communicable disease treatments?
     What role should donor countries play?
     (to be invited: European Union representative)

     - Pharmaceutical Industry: New Strategies Lacking commercial
incentives; new ideas for effective collaboration
     When is transfer of technology appropriate?
     (to be invited: Pharma company executive)

      - Questions & Answers From Participants

     - Concluding Remarks                                         (8/07/99)

--


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