Recent news
August 2011
Results for Development launches blog series on global health partnerships
August 8, 2011 -- The Results for Development Institute (R4D) recently launched a new series on product-development partnerships (PDPs) on its Center for Global Health Policy Assessment blog. The series will highlight the stories of three PDPs: the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), Aeras, and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).
In the first post, MVP Director Marc La Force examines the lessons learned and successes that made the launch of a new meningitis vaccine possible. According to La Force, MVP engaged many partners—from public health organizations to US agencies, private sector partners, African ministries of health, and clinical trial experts—to “meet the challenges of simultaneously developing the vaccine, satisfying regulatory and technical rules, setting up clinical trials, and strengthening countries’ ability to host the trials and ultimately administer the vaccine. Because each of the partners believed so deeply in the importance of this effort, it was fast-tracked at many stages along the way.” He adds that MVP demonstrates “that it is indeed possible to spur research and development to address “diseases of the poor” at the scale necessary and at a sustainable cost.”
Jennifer Woolley from Aeras also examines the organization’s experience with tuberculosis vaccine research and development. “Aeras operates like a nonprofit biotechnology company dedicated to the development of effective tuberculosis vaccines and making them available to all people in an affordable and sustainable manner,” Woolley writes, adding that the PDP aims to “move one or two vaccine candidates into Phase III clinical trials within the next five years. Though we face many scientific and resource challenges, we do not overlook our successes, mainly the tremendous momentum in the clinical research.” See the links below for more information.
