Big Pharma Stalls Lifesaving Vaccine

Shocking revelations: Big Pharma stalls a life-saving vaccine in the name of profit

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The pharmaceutical behemoth GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) shocked everyone in 2015 when it declared that it would be stopping the development of its proposed tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. The TB vaccine was one of the most promising in development and had the potential to save millions of lives, so the move surprised the world health community.

Big Pharma Stalls Lifesaving Vaccine: Profits, though, were a factor in GSK’s choice. Since GSK is a publicly listed business, its investors anticipate that it will maximize profits. Since TB disproportionately affects underprivileged and marginalized populations, a low-cost vaccine would probably be offered in these regions. Consequently, GSK concluded that it would be more profitable to develop other vaccines, like a shingles vaccine that could be sold for a high price in developed nations, rather than a TB vaccine.

Big Pharma Stalls Lifesaving Vaccine: The choice made by GSK to put off the development of its TB vaccine is a prime illustration of how the pursuit of profit can obstruct the development of life-saving medical treatments. 1.6 million people die from tuberculosis (TB) every year; a vaccine would be an effective means of halting the disease’s spread. But even at the expense of millions of people’s health, GSK was more focused on creating products that would increase profits.

Big Pharma Stalls Lifesaving Vaccine: The choice made by GSK is not the only instance of Big Pharma putting corporate profits ahead of the general welfare. Concerns about profitability have also caused other companies to halt the development of promising medications and vaccines. The structure and incentives of the pharmaceutical industry are the root cause of this systemic issue.

The desire for profit drives the pharmaceutical industry. Businesses are always under pressure to create new goods that will bring in large sums of money for their investors. Companies may be influenced by this pressure to take actions that are not optimal for the general public’s health.

Big Pharma Stalls Lifesaving Vaccine

Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies are granted temporary exclusivity over their products through the patent system. Companies are able to set exorbitant prices for their goods thanks to this monopoly, even if those goods are necessary for maintaining public health.

Because of the combination of these factors, pharmaceutical companies are more likely to develop profitable products than ones that are truly needed. It is a tragedy, and we cannot afford to let it go on.

What steps can we take to solve this issue?

The issue of Big Pharma putting profits ahead of public health can be addressed in a number of ways. Reforming the patent system is one way to make it harder for pharmaceutical companies to prevent rivals from creating generic versions of their products. As a result, drugs would become more widely available and affordable.

For diseases that are not commercially attractive, another option is to form a public-private partnership to finance the development of vaccines and medications. This would relieve businesses of the burden of worrying about making a profit while they developed these crucial products.

Lastly, governments can help by giving pharmaceutical companies financial support for creating and marketing medications and vaccines for diseases that are important for public health. Companies would find it more financially appealing to develop these products as a result.

Pharmaceutical companies will keep making decisions that put profits ahead of the general public’s health until these kinds of reforms are put into place. It is a tragedy, and we cannot afford to let it go on.

In summary

GSK’s decision to put off the development of its TB vaccine is a startling illustration of how Big Pharma can put corporate profits ahead of the general welfare. The structure and incentives of the pharmaceutical industry are the root cause of this systemic issue. To solve this issue, a variety of strategies can be implemented, including public-private partnerships, patent system reform, and pharmaceutical company subsidies.