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Web-Wise

Institute for one world health

health

(www.oneworldhealth.org)
The world is fast emerging as a global community.
Increasing interdependence and the fact that the health of
people influences the strength of national economies has
created an awareness amongst countries for the need for new,
integrated, and multidimensional approaches to global health.
The shared concern of different countries is to contain the rapid
spread of health crises that have shown an alarming propensity
to disseminate across countries and continents. Health threats
include infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and
drug-resistant tuberculosis, as well as emerging and re
emerging diseases such as SARS and the threat of avian
influenza. These challenges encompass social, political,
economic and biomedical dimensions and are best addressed
through multidisciplinary teams and interdisciplinary
approaches.
Just as health problems can cross borders, solutions to
these problems can also be shared among countries. A number
of initiatives by both governmental and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) have sought to address the unfair
treatment of drug research and drug availability in the case of
poorer nations and neglected diseases. A new class of
entrepreneurs with a unique business model that relies on the
basic human traits of social responsibility and altruism have
taken up the challenge of addressing the disproportionate

allocation of health resources that exist around the world. In a

number of innovative ways, they are applying time tested
strategies to develop treatments and get them to the people
who need them most.
Dr. Victoria Hale a pharmaceutical scientist is one such
trailblazer. Having worked inside the drug industry for many
years she realized that appropriate drugs would never be
developed because they would never make a profit and the
drugs that were already available were too expensive for people
in the developing world. She went on to establish OneWorld
Health in 2000 as the first non-profit pharmaceutical company
in the United States, with a mission to develop safe, effective,
and affordable new medicines for those most in need. The
website of the organisation (www.oneworldhealth.org) reveals
its business model which includes identifying and translating
promising new drug leads from academic institutes and
industry into safe, effective and affordable medicines. This is
accomplished by a dedicated team of scientists who work with
the financial aid granted by various philanthropic organisations.
The technical know-how for developing these medicines is then
transferred to the developing countries so that their impact is
maximised. This model is strongly in contrast to the functioning
of the archetypal pharmaceutical company whose main interest
is to garner profits by making drugs that are in high demand.
The website is a primer on the issues concerning global
health problems, the disparities which need to be tackled and

Indian J Pharmacol

August 2006

| Vol 38 |

Issue 4

305-306

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Web-Wise

possible solutions that can be provided. Concerns related to

preventable diseases, orphan diseases affecting the poorest
of people and the interplay of poverty, marginalisation and nonavailability of medicines are also elaborately explained.
The drug development process of the organisation involves
zeroing in on profitable chemical compounds against target
diseases. The positive leads are secured by ensuring intellectual
property rights and then optimised for clinical testing. Clinical
trials carried out in accordance with international norms
evaluate the safety and effectiveness of these compounds which
are then submitted to the regulatory authorities of the country
where they would be useful and the technology involved in
their manufacture is transferred to a partner in that country.
Distribution of the medicines to the focus groups is usually
done through existing government systems.
The link Diseases and Programs showcases the products
of the organisation; paromomycin for Leishmaniasis, azoles
for Chagas disease, synthetic artemisinin and a vaccine for
malaria and the development medicines and vaccines for
childhood diarrhoeas are particularly highlighted. A separate
page goes on to explain the burden of infectious diseases, the
historical use of antibiotics and vaccines and the rapidity with
which new disease threats are alleviated with the judicious
use of modern technology.

One of the various ways in which OneWorld Health finds

drug leads is by collaborating with pharmaceutical researchers
and industry professionals in order to develop medicines for
non-commercial markets. The How to get involved link gives
details of the issues involved in these partnerships. The Media
Center consists of news, technical releases, articles and
multimedia clips relating to the organisation. It showcases the
novel mode of functioning and the acceptability of the Institute
by various international bodies. A regular newsletter, The
Pipeline can also be accessed from this link.
The concept of a non-profit pharmaceutical company is
seemingly alien at first but on going through the contents of
the website the optimistic ideology of the company becomes
apparent as do the dedication of the team and the approach of
the innovative business model. The website showcases how a
unique idea can work wonders for the good of humanity based
on the tenets of innovation and teamwork. It is an excellent
resource for people in the pharmaceutical industry, academics,
researchers, managers and entrepreneurs on the importance
of global health issues and innovations needed for their
resolution.
J. Singh
Website Editor, IJP
E-mail: jatindersingh@vsnl.com

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Indian J Pharmacol

August 2006

Vol 38

Issue 4

305-306