“Blue marble health” was introduced in 2013 as a policy framework to better understand new trends in the geographic distribution of the major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)affecting human populations that live in extreme poverty. An analysis of information released by the World Health Organization reveals that the concepts of blue marble health extend beyond neglected tropical diseases to also include “the big three diseases”: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

In addition to their therapeutic potential, cord blood banks raise ethical and regulatory questions, especially in emerging markets in the Arab world. In this article, the authors review cord blood banking in five countries in the region (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) that were selected for their different CB banking policies and initiatives.

Biotechnology scientists must be aware of the broad patent landscape and push for new patent and licensing guidelines, according to a new paper from the Baker Institute.

Although Aboriginal people make up a small percentage of the world's population, they are disproportionately affected by poverty and neglected tropical diseases.

Errors in surgical care for cancer patients may seem infrequent, but the costs associated with them are extremely high.

Data on revenues by payer type are used to identify the determinants of rising hospital prices in Texas between 2000 and 2007. By Vivian Ho, Jerome Dugan and Meei-Hsiang Ku-Goto.

For both generic and patented cancer drugs, the free-market economy has not worked well. Solutions are needed to maintain reasonable drug prices that allow for corporate profits and are affordable to patients and to the U.S. health care system.

In a genuine effort to protect patients from adverse events, regulatory burdens and research rigidity in clinical trials have increased to a point at which such protection is outweighing the benefits, and actually harming patients who are unable to be involved in clinical trials.

Allowing the producer-dominated market to set drug prices has spiraled the cost of cancer drugs out of control. Drug pricing can be reduced while preserving the profit-making incentive, by linking price to a true measure of quality: preservation and meaningful prolongation of life.

By Bruce Y. Lee, Kristina M. Bacon, Maria Elena Bottazzi and Peter J. Hotez

Abstract

Background: As Chagas disease…