Some people say that drug companies have responsibility to spend money in researching medicine to help the poorer countries, while others think the main responsibility of drug companies is making money. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Sample Response
Nowadays, there is a heated debate over the core obligations of pharmaceutical corporations. While some argue that these enterprises should invest in medical research for impoverished nations out of social duty, others maintain that their primary goalpriority is to pursue profits. This essay will discuss both perspectives and conclude with my personal stance.
Those who believe drug firms should fund research for poorer countries often highlight moral and global‑health imperatives. First and foremostTo begin with, pharmaceutical businesses derive enormous financial gains from global public‑health systems, which creates a moral case for giving back to vulnerable communities. Many infectious and endemic diseases devastate low‑income regions yet receive little research attention. With their unique access to capital, laboratory expertise, and clinical knowledgecapital, laboratory expertise and clinical knowledge, large drug companies are well‑placed to develop affordable treatments that reduce mortality and ease stark global health disparitiesinequality. Furthermore, supporting neglected medical research can bring long‑term indirect commercial benefits. Corporate social responsibilityResponsible corporate behaviour builds international brand reputation, and research into region‑specific illnesses can expand firms’ technical knowledge base for future market opportunities.
On the other hand, proponents of the profit-oriented viewopponents stress that profit‑making lies at the heart of private pharmaceutical enterprises. New‑drug development involves lengthy trials, strict safety regulationsregulation and colossal financial risk; most experimental compounds never reach the market. Without sufficient revenue, companies cannot sustain ongoing innovation and may even face collapseinnovation, and may even face collapse. If firms were compelled to prioritise unprofitable research for poor nations, limited resources would be diverted away from developing treatments for life‑threatening conditions worldwide. Additionally, large‑scale humanitarian medical assistance is widely seen as the remit of governments and international bodies such as the WHO, which control public budgets and cross‑border policy. Imposing this social burden on private commercial organisations could distort market mechanisms and weaken the broader pharmaceutical research sectorwhole medical‑research sector.
In my view, profit‑making and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Pharmaceutical companies do need to generate profits to stay operational and continue advancing medical sciencekeep driving medical progress. Nevertheless, they ought to accept moderate social obligations, rather than rejecting humanitarian involvement entirely. One viable pathway is throughA practical solution lies in partnerships with international agencies: under financially sustainable conditions, drug companies can conduct targeted R&D, manufacture affordable generics, and facilitate technology transfersconduct targeted research, produce low‑cost medicines and share technology for poorer populations. This collaborative model balances commercial survival with ethical commitments to global public health.
In conclusion, although generating profit remains the fundamental requirement for drug companies’ survival and innovation, appropriate cooperative engagement in medical research for poorer countries is both desirable and feasible. A measured balance between commercial interests and social duties serves the interests of businesses and humanity alike.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The essay presents an exceptionally thorough discussion of both perspectives alongside a nuanced, well-reasoned opinion. Ideas are logically organised with sophisticated cohesion and advanced vocabulary and grammar used with high precision throughout. To further refine performance under strict exam conditions, practice achieving the same depth and polish with slightly more concise framing to save time.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both viewpoints are comprehensively explored with well-developed supporting arguments, and a clear, balanced position is maintained throughout.
Ensure that detailed examples remain tightly tied to the core prompt focus when managing time in timed conditions.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing is logically structured and topic sentences clearly signpost the progression of thought across the response.
Continue utilizing varied cohesive devices and transitional phrases to link complex sub-arguments seamlessly.
Lexical Resource
An extensive range of topic-specific vocabulary and natural collocations is used with high precision and flexibility.
Maintain this sophisticated standard while watching for any minor risk of over-elaboration.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of complex sentence structures is deployed with consistently high accuracy and grammatical control.
Sustain this error-free control across different sentence types under tighter time constraints.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people say that drug companies have responsibility to spend money in researching medicine to help the poorer countries, while others think the main responsibility of drug companies is making money. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.