HI--it made me happy to see this news about a gracious gift to the world
from SmithKilne Beecham, makers of our own Requip. I'll excerpt briefly the
report from the WashingtonPost:
PHARMACEUTICAL FIRM DISTRIBUTES FREE MEDICATION
SKB will provide an anti-parasitic drug free to about one-fifth of the
world's population in an effort to eliminate the grossly disfiguring
disease known as elephantiasis (lymphatic filiariasis).
This requires giving people of entire geographis regions once-a-year doses
of the frug albendazole for at least five years, with the goal of
eliminating the disease worldwide in about 20 years.
About 120 million people now have the tropical infection---but the number
at risk for the disease is about 1 billion. The company described this as
their "contribution to the next millenium". They expect to spend about
$500million on this in the next decade, and the Worl;d Health Organization
is "extraordinarily delighted" with their generosity. The drug costs about
10 cents a tablet, and will be free as long as the campaign is underway.
There's more, but that gives you the gist--let's hear it for the positive
side of "human nature", amidst all the greed and nastiness!
Camilla [log in to unmask]
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