Ebola Crisis of 2014: Are Current Strategies Enough?
Ebola Crisis of 2014: Are Current Strategies Enough?
To spur the development of vaccines and treatments for EVD, several policy changes are needed to overcome the problem of limited market incentives for pharmaceutical firms. In this section, we highlight 3 policy recommendations to encourage the development of effective treatments and vaccines for EVD. These long-term policy recommendations seek to support and enhance EVD research initiatives that are currently in progress.
The US government should increase federal research funds to support the development of vaccines and treatments for infectious disease. In September 2014, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced short-term support to accelerate the development and production of ZMapp.
The US Department of Defense also now supports development of the TKM-Ebola drug. These efforts are an important step. However, a dedicated federal funding pool to support basic research and the development of treatments for other lethal infectious diseases is needed to prepare for and tackle the public health challenges of future outbreaks, of which EVD is only the current example.
Policymakers should increase the 7-year market exclusivity provision of the 1983 Orphan Drug Act (ODA) to encourage greater development of treatments for infectious diseases, which include EVD. Previous studies have found that the ODA led to a significant and sustained increase in new clinical trials for orphan drugs, which affected fewer than 200 000 Americans.
The ODA was also found to spur a much greater variety in approved treatments of rare diseases compared with nonrare diseases. However, the largest share (33%) of orphan drugs is for cancer-related treatments. According to the pharmaceutical industry, the most important benefit of the ODA is the 7-year marketing exclusivity provision. Moving to a 10-year marketing exclusivity provision for infectious disease treatments would provide a stronger incentive for pharmaceutical firms.
Advance market commitments to purchase vaccines for infectious diseases may help to galvanize investments for diseases that severely affect West Africa. Earlier studies have noted that nations with developing economies, such as West Africa, face a problem of limiting market incentives for treatments by setting too low a price. However, introducing advance market commitments for vaccines may spur greater development by setting a minimum price and quantity purchased if and only if a developing treatment receives FDA approval. The advance purchase of FDA-approved vaccines and treatments for EVD could be made by the WHO, the Gates Foundation, or an international consortium of nations.
Three Policy Recommendations
To spur the development of vaccines and treatments for EVD, several policy changes are needed to overcome the problem of limited market incentives for pharmaceutical firms. In this section, we highlight 3 policy recommendations to encourage the development of effective treatments and vaccines for EVD. These long-term policy recommendations seek to support and enhance EVD research initiatives that are currently in progress.
Increase Federal Research Funds
The US government should increase federal research funds to support the development of vaccines and treatments for infectious disease. In September 2014, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced short-term support to accelerate the development and production of ZMapp.
The US Department of Defense also now supports development of the TKM-Ebola drug. These efforts are an important step. However, a dedicated federal funding pool to support basic research and the development of treatments for other lethal infectious diseases is needed to prepare for and tackle the public health challenges of future outbreaks, of which EVD is only the current example.
Amend the 1983 Orphan Drug Act
Policymakers should increase the 7-year market exclusivity provision of the 1983 Orphan Drug Act (ODA) to encourage greater development of treatments for infectious diseases, which include EVD. Previous studies have found that the ODA led to a significant and sustained increase in new clinical trials for orphan drugs, which affected fewer than 200 000 Americans.
The ODA was also found to spur a much greater variety in approved treatments of rare diseases compared with nonrare diseases. However, the largest share (33%) of orphan drugs is for cancer-related treatments. According to the pharmaceutical industry, the most important benefit of the ODA is the 7-year marketing exclusivity provision. Moving to a 10-year marketing exclusivity provision for infectious disease treatments would provide a stronger incentive for pharmaceutical firms.
Support Market Commitments to Purchase Vaccines
Advance market commitments to purchase vaccines for infectious diseases may help to galvanize investments for diseases that severely affect West Africa. Earlier studies have noted that nations with developing economies, such as West Africa, face a problem of limiting market incentives for treatments by setting too low a price. However, introducing advance market commitments for vaccines may spur greater development by setting a minimum price and quantity purchased if and only if a developing treatment receives FDA approval. The advance purchase of FDA-approved vaccines and treatments for EVD could be made by the WHO, the Gates Foundation, or an international consortium of nations.
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