Affiliations: Charles River Associates, Boston, MA, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Tim Wilsdon, Charles River Associates, Boston, MA, USA. E-mail:twilsdon@crai.com
Abstract: A healthy life sciences eco-system^1
is an environment where all stakeholders, patients, researchers,
governments, the civil society and manufacturers, work together to support
the sustainable development and provision of innovative solutions that
address unmet health needs. To build a stronger eco-system, governments
could prioritise policy initiatives such as: facilitating the
commercialisation of academic research; encouraging clinical research;
accelerating the adoption and diffusion of new innovative medicines; and
promoting the local market as a place to invest and deliver life sciences
innovation [1]. Historically, the development of medicines has been primarily undertaken in,
and for the benefit of, high income countries. Over the last 20 years, this
has started to change, partly as a result of the market opportunity
increasing in middle-income countries (MICs) and low-income countries (LICs)
and partly because governments in these countries have recognised the
importance of encouraging innovative industries, resulting in a greater
priority given to addressing diseases highly prevalent in MICs and LICs. In this article, we draw on our experience to develop lessons on how to
establish a sustainable life sciences eco-system in MICs and LICs. We
highlight the importance of different types of government policy (industrial
policy, the regulatory framework, intellectual property, and improving
access to medicines) and how success requires different stakeholders (public
and private, international and national) to work together.
Keywords: Policy, lessons, life science, eco-system, sustain, Africa, China, India, Brazil, pharmaceuticals, medicines, LICs, MICs
