Inequality in the 21st Century

The London School of Economics & Political Science

London, UK

July 02 - 04, 2015

The global pharmaceutical industry has undergone significant changes in the 2000s, following the introduction of pharmaceutical patenting in developing countries and new concerns with costs of drugs in many developed countries. A particular concern regards what these changes mean for the supply of affordable drugs in developing countries. The papers in this panel examine various aspects of these changes, and national responses to them. Chatterjee and Shadlen analyse how the transformation of Indian pharmaceutical firms – the dominant provider of drugs to Africa – affects patterns of supply. In response to the new international environment some countries attempt to develop their own pharmaceutical production capabilities, a phenomenon that Horner’s paper analyses in the context of South Africa. Chorev’s paper, in turn, identifies the historical origins of local production in East Africa. Countries that do not produce locally, responded to the new challenges by introducing new provisions to assure that drugs remain affordable, the topic of Dorlich’s paper.