Heart medicine

In the Philippines, it is estimated that up to 40 percent of our countrymen live on less than $2 a day. This figure becomes more demoralizing when you consider that the minimum wage in the United States is $7 an hour. Trying to make ends meet — or forcing them, as it were — on such a meager income is difficult enough for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. When the breadwinner or someone in the family gets sick, a quick trip to the razor’s edge often follows. 

For instance, one month’s supply of a typical antihypertensive drug or a medication that effectively lowers blood cholesterol, for example, would cost poor families at least half a month’s income. Consequently, the corridor of options becomes restricted to closing doors: dilute the dosage, shorten the cycle, or skip the medication altogether. This sad range of choices — depressing even in theory ­— is a life-threatening reality for approximately 36 million Filipinos.

It is therefore inspiring to know that the largest multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company in the Philippines appears to have developed a unique form of “heart medicine.” From all indications, it seems that the company tested this one-of-a-kind magic pill on the most senior members of their management, before cascading it to the rest of the company. The side effects have been quite obvious as hearts have opened up with generosity, compassion, and the spirit of service. Simultaneously, all symptoms of the “profit-first” and “earnings-above-all” mentality have been eliminated.    

But enough of the metaphors and on to the facts. In the past few years, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a global leader in medicines, vaccines, and consumer health goods, has become an example of how a big pharmaceutical company can be a genuine catalyst for change. They have done this by concretely (and often directly) addressing the challenges of improving global public health not just for those who can afford it, but especially for those who cannot. The positive ripple effect of this commitment has been felt in several Least Developed Countries (LDCs), including the Philippines.

In a move that surely left old-school capitalists scratching their heads, GSK has resolved to reduce the prices of all their patented medicines in LDCs so that they are no higher than 25 percent of the price in more developed countries. In addition to this, they have committed to reinvest 20 percent of all profits made on medicine sales (whether patented or non-patented) back to the LDC itself. This investment covers a wide range of healthcare infrastructure, from research, to delivery and distribution systems. Even more impressively, GSK has aggressively promoted the creation of an “LDC Patent Pool” for neglected tropical diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, blinding trachoma, buruli ulcer, cholera, dengue/hemorrhagic fever, racunculiasis, fascioliasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helmithiasis, and yawls. Under this arrangement, GSK is prepared to put all its relevant small molecule compounds or process patents for these diseases into the pool, and allow others access to develop and produce new products and formulations. Of course, a pool with just one company’s Intellectual Property is quite meaningless, so GSK has been busy encouraging other companies to volunteer and join.

In other words, GSK is all set to share its most cherished possession — its scientific expertise and wealth of research — for the benefit of mankind. Which makes skeptics wonder as to what in the world the company is thinking. Doesn’t it know that international pharma conglomerates are supposed to act like stereotypical bullies and conspirators? Well, from where we sit, GSK seems all set to crush that outdated impression.

 But then again, is the company all “talk” and no “walk”? If its corporate conduct in the Philippines is any indication, the GSK guys are for real. Five years ago, for instance, GSK launched its ValueHealth program, significantly reducing the price of its original and widely-prescribed treatments for cough, asthma, and bacterial infections. Two years later, it introduced a ValueHealth Compliance Discount Card, where patients received discounts on GSK products for chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. At this point, other companies would be tempted to bask in the afterglow of their Corporate Social Responsibility, but GSK decided to do something that can only be described as radical. It announced a 30-50 percent price reduction for practically all their brands. These are the same globally-trusted brands that have established an impeccable track record of quality and efficacy… now at half-price.

The good news is that GSK is looking at further ways to develop this strategic direction. A few days ago, the company’s CEO, Andrew Witty, met with President Arroyo to discuss ways by which GSK could assist the Department of Health in its various initiatives.

* * *

PREDA Foundation, Inc. is urging President Arroyo to certify Senate Bill No. 2317 entitled “An Act Prohibiting Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties for the Commission Thereof and for Other Purposes,” and House Bill No.684 entitled “An Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties Thereof, and for Other Purposes.” Her certification of the two bills is deemed to guarantee their swift passing.

According to PREDA, child pornography in the Philippines is “a little known issue owing to its clandestine operations but the magnitude of its impact on children’s exploitation can be harrowing.”

“The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, defines child pornography as “…any representation, by whatever means, of a child engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child for primarily sexual purposes.” The Philippines being a State Party to both the UN CRC and aforesaid Optional Protocol is duty-bound to undertake all necessary measures to protect children from such life-threatening risk and degradation.

Prostituted children, usually girls, become readily accessible subjects of pornographers. With the number of child sex workers placed between
40,000-100,000 (IBC Country Profile in the Philippines, undated) one can only be appalled at the enormity of exploitation these children suffer.

“The large scale sex rings of pedophiles rake in profits from the very violation of children captured in video and sold in a lucrative business of
pirated VCDs and DVDs. Young girls and boys are made to do unimaginable things in cybersex dens. Mobile phones and digital cameras, like the internet, facilitate speedy production, possession and distribution of pornographic photos and videos.”

* * *

My e-mail:[email protected]