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An Alternative Patent Mechanism for Pharmaceutical Drugs for Tropical Diseases

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Abstract (2. Language): 
It is obvious that there is so little R&D on diseases disproportionably affecting underdeveloped countries while there is so much need for them. Unfortunately proposed solutions in the literature have not eliminated the problem completely. In this paper I try to answer why there is so little R&D on poor country diseases question and propose an alternative patent mechanism to encourage more R&D. Increasing the patent length from its current 20 year period for the diseases which are disproportionally affecting the poor countries would certainly increase R&D investments and can be socially optimal. Thus I suggest that in contrast to the current and past practice the poor countries should provide a higher patent protection for pharmaceutical drugs than developed countries.
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