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In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

February 6, 2014 by Nick Taylor

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week.

Japan’s National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO), GHTC member Aeras, and Create Vaccine Company have entered an agreement to collaborate on preclinical and clinical development of new tuberculosis vaccines. The partnership will advance vaccine candidates with the NIBIO technology through preclinical studies, with the goal of eventually testing candidates at clinical trial stages.

According to SciDev, the UK Department for International Development (DFID)’s budget for research and development has fallen under the current government. DFID’s research budget in 2011-2012 was £11 million—or about US$18 million—below the £237 million that was available in 2009-2010, prior to the coalition government coming to power.

In response to a US congressman, Roger Glass—director of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—made the case for global health research supported by NIH. Glass writes: “In almost every branch of medicine, research overseas has allowed us to advance our discoveries faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than we ever could have at home. We are leaders in global health because we have been able to reach out and engage others to do studies that are locally relevant but can have clear implications for us at home. Global health research truly is the new frontier of science.”

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research has launched a new initiative—called Countdown to a Cure—aimed at funding a “broadly applicable cure for HIV by 2020.” The initiative plans to invest $100 million in cure research over the next six years.

About the author

Nick TaylorGHTC

Nick Taylor is a senior program assistant at GHTC, where he supports GHTS communications and member engagement activities.