World Federation of Scientific Workers Resolution on Biological Drug Storage & Stability

The Executive Council of the WFSW at its 71st, Meeting,

Recognizing that there is a growing global trend in drug discovery to develop biological drugs (i.e. proteins, peptides, RNA, DNA, etc.);

Acutely aware that biological drugs are subjected to long-term stability and shelf-life challenges;

Mindful that biological drugs often become biologically toxic (i.e. cause a chronic to acute toxic physiological response from biomolecular breakdown / aggregation) as a result of long-term storage and/or high ambient temperature exposure;

Aware of the corresponding issue that as much as 25% of medicines both donated and sold to developing nations reach their expiration dates prior to consumption;

Equally conscious that the rural communities in developing countries do not have adequate access to secure refrigerated shipping routes or refrigerated storage facilities;

RESOLVES:

1. TO URGE Its affiliates, UN agencies; and Member Countries of the UN, as a matter of urgency:
2. To research the impact of biological drug shelf-life expiration and shipping / storage restrictions on healthcare delivery in developing countries;
3. To research the economic burden of drug expiration on the overall healthcare budget;
4. To encourage biotech and pharmaceutical companies to implement biological drug stability technology solutions sufficient to stabilize otherwise unstable biomolecules in the face of high temperature exposure and extended shelf-life;