Five ways pharmaceutical companies can address NTDs

In this Forbes opinion piece, journalist Sarika Bansal examines five ways in which pharmaceutical companies can address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including creating cross-sectorial research partnerships for neglected diseases; joining patent pools for neglected diseases; donating drugs for neglected diseases; creating facilities dedicated to neglected disease research; and allowing scientists to work on neglected disease, both formally and informally.

She interviews a number of top officials from pharmaceutical companies, research groups, and intellectual property organizations regarding their work with respect to NTDs and writes, "Throughout my interviews, I was struck by how deeply engaged the pharmaceutical executives were with neglected diseases." Bansal concludes, "There is still a long way to go, but between innovative partnerships, open access, and deeper investments, the pharmaceutical industry can help make significant strides forward in neglected disease research" (11/22).