New drugs and health technologies for low-income populations: will the private sector meet the needs of low-income populations in developing countries?

Abstract

This paper argues that the development of targeted health technologies for poor people will require a new mix of technology, organizations and institutions which we conceptualize as new social technologies. Using a technology–market matrix, we explore these new social technologies which may sometimes include multi-national companies but are also associated with developing country private sector firms and not-for-profit product development partnerships. The paper argues that these collaborative forms of social technology are most likely to generate and deliver new physical technologies and innovation processes required by low-income users.