A Global Medical Research and Development Treaty: An Answer To Global Health Needs?

Despite billions of dollars having been committed by philanthropists and governments to the development of new drugs for the diseases of poverty, some still argue there is too little being spent on the development of new drugs. The latest suggestion for a binding, “Kyoto-style” international Medical Research and Development Treaty (MRDT), through which R&D could be centrally directed towards perceived health priorities. A variant of this treaty is currently under discussion amongst members of the WHO. In this paper, Andrew Farlow of Oxford University discusses the many shortcomings of this proposal.