A sovereign bet on science could save millions of lives

A patient in Europe or North America suffering from either a complex or a common illness is far more likely to receive better treatment and survive than a patient in Africa. That’s because they have better access to timely diagnosis, advanced treatments, and specialist care. ALSO READ: Cancer: Rwanda adds brachytherapy to treatment services That fact can be difficult to comprehend, especially given the investments many African countries have made to expand access to healthcare across the continent over the last few decades. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s push to eliminate cervical cancer ahead of WHO targets When one examines the reasons behind this disparity, the explanation becomes clearer. One could argue that the global pharmaceutical system is structured in ways that allow wealthier nations to access new treatments long before developing countries do. Too often, Africa benefits only after the rest of the world is served. ALSO READ: Rwanda's path to pharma self-sufficiency When a new drug is introduced to the market, it can take up to 10 years or more before it becomes widely available in Africa. That is a sobering reality that only recently prompted some African countries to recognise the harm such delays inflict on their populations. ALSO READ: BioNTech's vaccine plant in Rwanda gets over Rwf180bn boost Rwanda recognised this challenge early. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it became extremely difficult for African countries to access basic therapeutics, let alone life-saving vaccines, it became apparent that health sovereignty was a matter of life and death. ALSO READ: VIDEO: Inside BioNTech's first vaccine manufacturing plant The government made every effort to build local capabilities for manufacturing therapeutics and vaccines, despite the complex challenges and limitations that developing countries still face in accessing the technology required to produce these life-saving medicines. One result of those efforts is the establishment of BioNTech’s BioNTainers at Kigali Special Economic Zone, expected to produce vaccines and therapeutics for malaria, tuberculosis, and other mRNA-based treatments. But a deeper revolution is underway. A few years ago, the late Dr. Paul Farmer, Daryl Drummond, and Michael Fairbanks conceived the idea of establishing a scientific research company dedicated to developing therapeutics for diseases that disproportionately affect countries like Rwanda. They founded Akagera Medicines with a mission to develop drugs and vaccines targeting tuberculosis, Lassa fever, HIV, maternal and pediatric RSV, and to help prevent a future avian influenza pandemic. This mission was ambitious but worth pursuing. Collectively, these diseases remain among the leading causes of death across the continent. Tuberculosis alone remains the world's deadliest infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB in 2023, and 1.23 million died from it. The burden of tuberculosis is not distributed evenly. Approximately 85-87 per cent of global cases occur in 30 high TB burden countries, with the largest share concentrated in South-East Asia and Africa. Yet few major pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in treatments for these diseases because the economics often do not align with profit-driven business models. Rwanda understood that this reality had to be addressed. Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) became an early investor in Akagera Medicines, a decision that reflects the country's determination to ensure access to essential and innovative treatments for diseases that have claimed countless lives. That investment by a sovereign nation attracted support from partners who recognised the company’s potential. Akagera Medicines is now backed by the Gates Foundation, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), among others. In just four years, the company has filed 79 patent applications across six continents and multiple jurisdictions. It also secured patents in the United States at a remarkable pace. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office described its technology as novel and possessing wide industrial applicability. Its latest development is AKG-100, a promising tuberculosis drug candidate. As Fairbanks recently announced in a blog post, the company filed a patent for the drug in March and has since advanced it into Phase I clinical trials to evaluate its safety and pharmacological profile. Fairbanks has indicated that the path toward regulatory approval remains on track. This is a transformation in the making, and Rwanda stands to benefit more than most. Betting on health sovereignty is a wise investment. For ordinary Rwandans, it could mean the difference between life and death. The writer is a Senior Business Editor at The New Times.

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A sovereign bet on science could save millions of lives