There is a widespread and growing concern that patents hinder access to life-saving drugs in developing countries. Recent student movements and legislative initiatives emphasize the potential role that research universities in developed countries could have in ameliorating this "access gap." These efforts are based on the assumption that universities own patents on a substantial number of drugs and that patents on these drugs are currently filed in developing countries. I provide empirical evidence regarding these issues and explore the feasibility and desirability of proposals to change university patenting and licensing practices to promote access to medicines in the developing world.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.128769 | DOI Listing |
Viruses
January 2025
Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Lassa fever (LF), a viral hemorrhagic fever disease with a case fatality rate that can be over 20% among hospitalized LF patients, is endemic to many West African countries. Currently, no vaccines or therapies are specifically licensed to prevent or treat LF, hence the significance of developing therapeutics against the mammarenavirus Lassa virus (LASV), the causative agent of LF. We used in silico docking approaches to investigate the binding affinities of 2015 existing drugs to LASV proteins known to play critical roles in the formation and activity of the virus ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP) responsible for directing replication and transcription of the viral genome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Traditional Medicine Laboratory, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa.
Medicinal plants are sources of crude traditional herbal medicines that are utilized to reduce the risk of, treat, or manage diseases in most indigenous communities. This is due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is estimated that about 80% of the population in developing countries rely on herbal traditional medicines for healthcare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Background/objectives: For low- and middle- income country (LMIC) settings, a global nutrition transition is rapidly emerging as diets shift, resulting in a dual burden of malnutrition. High quality dietary intake data for these populations is essential to understand dietary patterns contributing to these nutrition issues. New technology is emerging to address dietary assessment challenges; however, it is unknown how researchers conducting studies with LMIC populations or under-served groups in high-income countries adopt technology-assisted methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
January 2025
Research Group of Microbiology, Industry and Environment (GIMIA), Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali 760035, Colombia.
Non-typhoidal salmonellosis is a foodborne disease caused by spp. Most outbreaks of this disease are commonly associated with consuming contaminated meat products, hence the importance of monitoring ready-to-eat artisanal pork sausages for the presence of these bacteria. A total of 494 samples of grilled and smoked barbecue artisanal pork sausages were collected at food outlets from 12 municipalities of the Department of Quindío, Colombia, between 2017 and 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
December 2024
Center for General Education, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
Monkeypox (mpox) is a viral infection closely related to smallpox, manifesting as a milder febrile rash in affected individuals. Over the past two decades, the incidence of mpox has surged, possibly linked to a declining immunity against the smallpox vaccine worldwide. Recent outbreaks of mpox in multiple countries have sparked concerns regarding altered transmission patterns and the potential for a global menace.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!