[e-drug] Expanding the WHO Model Essential Medicines List (11)

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E-DRUG:  Expanding the WHO Model Essential Medicines List (11)
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E-drug moderators have agreed that this thread should be terminated for the moment as we seem to have covered the issues.   The discussion can be reopened if new lines of thought are contributed. 

We would like to confirm that apart from ARV's there are very few patented medicines on the WHO Model List. While some people suggest that patents and high costs prevent their inclusion an alternative explanation might be a lack of significant therapeutic innovation as is seen with neglected diseases. There have also not been applications for such high cost medicines as some of those described.

The opportunity exists for those who believe that there are significant omissions to make submissions for the next committee. As a previous E-Drug message described, anybody including medical student groups can make a submission. As the process is evidence based and all applications are posted on the WHO web site it is easy to see that for at least the last three meetings, cost was not a significant factor in the rejection of past applications. 

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