Drug firm chief promises to cut prices in developing countries

Published on Saturday 14 February 2009 00:34

THE head of a drugs giant has reportedly said he will cut prices for medication in developing countries and share knowledge of patented treatments.

Andrew Witty, the new head of GlaxoSmithKline, said pharmaceutical companies had a duty to help the poor.

"We work like crazy to come up with the next great medicine, knowing that it's likely to get used an awful lot in developed countries, but we could do something for developing countries," he said.

"Are we working as hard on that? I want to be able to say yes we are, and that's what this is all about – trying to make sure we are even-handed in terms of our efforts to find solutions not just for developed but for developing countries."