Shots - Health Blog Mon January 30, 2012 A Bid To Replace
Neglect For Tropical Diseases With Attention Originally
published on Mon January 30, 2012 1:31 pm Tropical diseases that
have long been overlooked are getting their due. An ambitious
new push to eradicate, eliminate or control 17 scourges over the
next eight years was just unveiled in London. The initiative
brings together some of the world's largest drugmakers, health-
oriented foundations and nongovernmental organizations.
Governments from the developed world and the countries most
affected by the diseases are also on board. The drug companies
will donate billions of doses of drugs and open their libraries
of experimental medicines to quicken the pace of new drug
development. "We're saying look, if we focus our energies we can
make some real progress," says Andrew Witty, the CEO of
GlaxoSmithKline tells Shots. "We're serious about making a huge
impact in the short run." Witty says it's the first time that
the world's 13 biggest pharmaceutical competit