Interview with chair of FIND board of Directors
Dr Gerald Moeller
December 15, 2004
Q:
You have been involved for more than 20
years in the private sector of diagnostics with
Boehringer
Mannheim, now part of Roche, and are now the
Chairman of FIND’s Board of Directors. With this
broad perspective, in your view which are the
important differences between for-profit
companies and FIND?
A:
The sole difference is that FIND is
fully dedicated to the development of diagnostic
tools for the public sector. Its profits are
primarily social in nature and are directed at
the affordability and accessibility of these
tools in developing countries. On the other
hand, in the private sector profits are
financial and are distributed to shareholders.
Q:
FIND is now one year old. What has been the most
important achievement of the organization during
this period?
A:
The Board is very pleased with FIND’s management
for its achievements in several major areas.
From the organizational point of view, the best
achievement has certainly been the creation of
an outstanding FIND TEAM. FIND’s best asset is
really to be found in the quality of our people.
Q:
What other achievements are noteworthy?
A:
From the operational point of view, FIND has
made significant progress in establishing and
testing a “new” model for the development,
evaluation and demonstration of tools for the
public sector: from proof of principle to access
to the underprivileged in the developing
countries. FIND has projects and funded
activities in each of the phases of the
developmental pipeline. FIND has established a
creative Intellectual Property Policy and is
offering some of its products on a royalty-free,
non-exclusive license to the public sector (
details are provided at www.finddiagnostics.org).
Find also has a rigorous Project Management
System that provides for quality and
accountability all along the developmental
pipeline.
Q:
How important for FIND is this agreement with
BD?
A:
It is very important for several reasons.
Demonstration projects of this magnitude for
testing technologies in the public sector have
until now never been undertaken. FIND has been
able to partner with various organizations to
put this in place. In addition, FIND previously
has signed agreements only with small and
medium-size companies; collaboration with BD,
one of the largest diagnostics company in the
world, demonstrates the credibility of FIND.
Q:
One last question: who are FIND’s partners?
A:
Our primary institutional partner is TDR (the
WHO/UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank Special Program for
Research and Training in Tropical Diseases),
with whom we share a joint work plan. We
certainly cherish this special relationship.
FIND is also the lead agency for the Working
Group on New Diagnostics for the STOP TB
Partnership, under whose umbrella FIND operates
in the tuberculosis world. We also have other
very important partners, such as CREATE and the
U.S. CDC with whom we have ongoing projects and
prospects for enhanced collaboration in the
future.
Thank you, Dr. Moeller.
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