The ultimate solution to the Ebola epidemic is better medicine — that is, drugs and vaccines that reliably cure or prevent the disease.
That’s why it’s good to see a Senate bill is taking shape that would push the U.S. Food and Drug Administration into adding Ebola to its priority review voucher program, which rewards companies for developing drugs for neglected tropical diseases and fast-tracks their review. Surprisingly, Ebola is not on the FDA’s list.
The pharma industry has been criticized for not investing enough in diseases for which they aren’t likely to find a commercial market in the United States. The voucher program could be a useful incentive for more of them to do so.
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