An expert in the development of drugs for infectious diseases said Tuesday night at the Adam W. Herbert University Center that the issue for developing treatment for infectious diseases is not in the science, but in the funding.
Jon C. Mirsalis, vice president of translational development at SRI International, said that the war on infectious diseases has been going on for a really long time. It’s a war that can’t be won, but it can be fought with the right amount of support. It’s finding that support, particularly from congress, that seems to be the challenge. Most of the funding for the infectious disease development comes from the federal government. It takes two to 10 billion dollars to make one drug and even if the drug is created it would cost too much for the average person to buy it. “No one gets rich developing anti-infective drugs,” said Mirsalis. Mirsalis said it is because of this that congress decides to not make the drug at all and this is where the problem lies. “We’re facing extinction by infectious diseases and nobody is coming up with treatments,” said Mirsalis. Diseases such as Malaria, Chagas and Zika have been around for many years, yet the preparations for fighting these diseases have never been met. When the Ebola epidemic arrived in 2014, immediate action was taken to find a vaccine, but it was too late for many who were already infected. Mirsalis said if there had been stable funding throughout the years, there would have already been a treatment plan before the epidemic. Debbie Gustafson, a member of the audience, was taken aback by how prevalent these diseases were in our society and how little there is being done about the issue. The fact that there is a kissing bug out there biting and emptying its bowls on people’s lips causing them to obtain the infectious Changa Disease sent a chill down her spine. “It’s not only how you can get the disease that scares me,” said Gustafson. “It’s the fact that there’s nothing out there to treat it.” Mirsalis said that world needs to be more concerned with fighting these diseases than they are with nukes. Humans have the ability to create, but a bacterium has the ability to resist, therefore there will be no cure for infectious diseases. So, do we stand a chance against these diseases? Mirsalis said if we work together; government, Pharmaceuticals and academics, we may, “live to fight another day.”
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February 2017
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