UNAIDS has welcomed a report approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 29 September that recommends stronger regulation of the pharmaceutical sector to uphold public interest and prevent conflicts of interest.
The report, Public health and the interests of the pharmaceutical industry: how to guarantee the primacy of public health interests?, highlights the need for more transparency about the activities of pharmaceutical companies, especially in relation to production costs and the pricing of essential medicines. It also says that the costs of research and development currently represent a high cost burden for patients. The report recommends the use of mandatory licensing to curb potential abuses and proposes more flexibility in relation to the disclosure of clinical data.
With regard to governments, the report also recommends further transparency to avoid corporate interests unduly influencing political decisions, especially concerning marketing authorization.
