In Great Britain, researchers discover how to produce low-cost drugs - from SIMGnews
Two British academics have developed "ethically correct pharmaceuticals", a revolutionary methodology that will make it possible to produce and market drugs at very low cost. The Guardian reports that the new pharmacological process is capable of breaking the monopoly of the large pharmaceutical multinationals, allowing even the poorest countries to purchase essential medicines. Ethical pharmaceuticals was born from the intuition of the Infectious Diseases Professor Sunil Shaunak from Imperial College London and Dr. Steve Brocchini of the London School of Pharmacy. The basic idea is to modify, even minimally, the molecular structure of already existing and patent-protected drugs, substantially creating new ones. The first drug (against hepatitis C, which is still being tested) was developed thanks to the support of the Indian government. If the latest tests are successful, an Indian biotechnology company has already guaranteed its readiness for commercialisation. The development of a drug costs an average of just under 600 million euros, a figure also justified by the need for companies to make large profits to be redistributed to shareholders. The patent of the first drug will be registered by Imperial College which has already hired the best lawyers to defend itself against the probable counteroffensive of the multinationals. Once the drug has passed all the suitability tests and has been registered in India, it can be marketed in Europe, and can also be purchased by the various national health services, thus also allowing huge savings to the states of the Union.
