Parable of the Sadhu, McKoy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parable of the Sadhu, McKoy - Essay Example transmitter of river blindness, in the third world was a serious crisis that lacked the necessary interventions from the United States and other developed international countries. As a matter of fact, these countries consider the business viability of drug manufacturing, rather than the ethical service delivery and elimination of human diseases. The United States effected legislation, in 1978, to help the drug manufacturing industries develop and innovate drug formulations to counter many diseases affecting Americans. This included tax benefits and exclusive marketing rights for the American manufacturers, for the American people. Many people affected by the river blindness disease hailed from the third world countries, where most of the population could not afford low drug prices. The increment of attacks along the rivers caused migration from the fertile and wet lands, and hence created risks for food shortages and abject poverty. This is bound to have adverse effects on agricultural growth and food production, which are vital in economic development. The author implies that an intervention by the US government and other developed nations and organizations, such as the World Health Organization, could have achieved the development of a more effective drug formulation. This could have eased the economic and health burden o n the poor third world population, especially those affected by the river blindness. Merck organizational policies and business ethics are highly contradictory since at some point there was conflict of interest due to fear of failure. Merck could have invested in Dr. William Campbell’s research on the development of an effective drug formulation from the Sample No. 0S3153, which yielded the veterinary Ivomec drug. Failure inevitability in drug innovation and the tediousness, and cost, of the research led to the use of sophisticated research managers, such as Vagelos, and thereby hindered the critical innovation and approval of potential drug