Hello friends,
When Michael Fairbanks talks about who he answers to, he does not point to a boardroom or a group of investors. He describes seeing a woman carrying potatoes through the Rwandan countryside.
“That’s my boss.”
Akagera Medicines, the company he co-founded, is majority-owned by the people of Rwanda through the Rwanda Social Security Board. Its first major target is tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, including forms resistant to existing drugs.
Fairbanks has spent four decades advising heads of state, including Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, and five Colombian presidents. His longstanding work in Rwanda eventually led to a different kind of assignment: helping the country develop medicines of its own.
(EP 06) The World’s Deadliest Infectious Disease. A Company Owned by 14 Million Rwandans | Michael Fairbanks
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Key questions from this episode
Who owns Akagera Medicines?
Akagera Medicines is majority-owned by the people of Rwanda through the Rwanda Social Security Board. In the episode, Michael Fairbanks explains how that investment connects the company’s future to the citizens he sees as his bosses.
What is Akagera Medicines developing for tuberculosis?
Akagera is developing new tuberculosis (TB) treatments, including for drug-resistant TB. Fairbanks describes a targeted drug-delivery approach intended to reduce toxicity and shorten treatment. The treatment discussed is investigational and is being evaluated in clinical trials.
How could a biotech make medicines more affordable?
Fairbanks describes a plan to use revenue from products sold in wealthier markets to help finance medicines for people who cannot afford them. He also emphasizes keeping development costs low and choosing investors who support the company’s medical mission.
Why does building biotech capacity in Rwanda matter?
Fairbanks wants Rwandan scientists working abroad to have opportunities to return home and develop medicines. His ambition is to build scientific capacity that continues beyond the company’s founders.
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Onward,
Timothy Wheeler
Co-host, Before the Cure
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