Breakthroughs in global health science flourish in 2010
Last year was marked by monumental progress in science and research for global health. Dramatic progress was announced in the development of new vaccines, microbicides, diagnostic tools, drugs, and other products for a range of global health diseases—from HIV, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. Among these achievements, five stand out as the top innovations in global health from 2010.
1. Microbicides to prevent HIV: Research released in July lifted hopes around the world for a female-controlled HIV prevention tool. The study showed a notable reduction in the risk of HIV infection associated with an experimental microbicide gel—the first proof-of-concept that a vaginal microbicide offers protection against the virus. The research was supported in large part by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States' lead foreign assistance agency.
2. A new meningitis vaccine: The first vaccine developed specifically for Africa was launched in Burkina Faso in December. The vaccine targets meningococcal meningitis, which in 2009 affected 78,416 people in fourteen African countries. The vaccine costs less than 50 cents per dose, making it affordable to donors, health agencies, and some African governments. It was developed in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the nonprofit group PATH, pharmaceutical partners in India and Europe, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
3. Faster TB diagnosis: The WHO announced in December that it endorsed a new test for TB and drug resistance. The new test was codeveloped by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), which worked in conjunction with the WHO and several other groups, including Cepheid, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The test has the potential to revolutionize TB care and control by providing an accurate diagnosis for many patients in about 100 minutes, compared with current tests that can take up to three months to obtain results.
4. Daily pills protect against HIV: A study released in November found that daily antiretroviral drugs provide protection against HIV infection through a prevention method known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The study included nearly 2,500 participants in six countries and was coordinated by the Gladstone Institutes of the University of California, San Francisco. It received funding from NIH and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and additional studies are currently under way to determine if similar results can be duplicated.
5. Advances in developing new vaccines: Last year was studded with significant progress in research to develop global health vaccines. Researchers in September announced that they had launched Phase III clinical trials of a malaria vaccine candidate in Africa, becoming closer than ever before to developing a safe and effective vaccine against the disease. Pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur announced in November that its experimental dengue vaccine has also entered Phase III trials, becoming the first vaccine candidate targeted at dengue to reach the final stage of clinical development. Also in September, the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation announced two new clinical trials of TB vaccine candidates in Africa and the United States. And in July, researchers at the NIH discovered a pair of antibodies that can kill more than 90 percent of all HIV strains, offering hope for the development of new HIV/AIDS vaccines as well as treatments.
The new tools described above are certain to bring major gains in the battle against global health diseases once developed, tested for safety and efficacy, and fully deployed in the developing world. Such significant breakthroughs would not have been possible without support from a range of partners, not the least of which is the US Government through such agencies as USAID, FDA, and NIH. Scientific advances, such as those above, illustrate the impact that US investment continues to have against diseases of poverty, and why it is so critical that this support continue in 2011 and beyond.
