The Elimination of Neglected Diseases Act of 2006

Read the full press release by Senator Lieberman's office.

U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) have "introduced the Elimination of Neglected Diseases Act of 2006, which encourages pharmaceutical companies to invest in developing treatments for neglected diseases......

"Neglected diseases include HIV, TB and malaria but also leprosy, hookworm, and river blindness which themselves cause over 500,000 deaths annually. A total of 13 such diseases afflict the poor in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Africa bears the brunt of them, as nearly 90 percent of the world’s neglected diseases afflict people in the continent.

"Lieberman continued, 'The technology and brain power behind cures should not be limited to the privileged and our bill aims to remove the barriers that have too long prevented these cures from reaching the nation’s underprivileged. The financial benefit companies would receive from the patent incentives in our bill can help offset the cost of crucial R&D investments needed to combat these neglected diseases, which can be as high as $1 billion dollars per drug.'"