Recent news
February 2011
New report documents global investment in research for neglected diseases
February 16, 2011 -- Global funding for research and development (R&D) for neglected disease increased to $3.2 billion in 2009, an increase of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars compared with 2008, according to the third annual G-FINDER report released by the George Institute and Policy Cures. According to the report, R&D funding was spread more evenly across the 31 neglected diseases covered by G-FINDER. These include HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, dengue fever, and other neglected tropical diseases.
However, the report also found that funders shifted their focus away from development of much-needed new products towards traditional basic research, often conducted by domestic institutions, with a $50 million drop in funding for product development partnerships (PDPs). PDPs are nonprofit organizations that drive neglected disease product development in conjunction with external partners, such as private industry. PDPs manage 22.5 percent of global grant funding, and manage more than 140 neglected disease drug, vaccine, and diagnostic projects.
Report author Mary Moran, director of Policy Cures, said, “Funders need to be careful not to take their eye off the ball. More funding is vital, and encouraging to see, but it’s just as important that the funds are spent wisely and well. Increased public spending on domestic researchers is an understandable strategy in hard economic times, but only if it also achieves the aim of creating new medicines and vaccines for those in the developing world.”
The report also found that in 2009, neglected disease R&D was mainly funded by the public and philanthropic sectors, who accounted for $2.8 billion (87.1 percent) of total funding. Public donors contributed $2.1 billion, or 66.5 percent. The United States was the top public funder of neglected disease R&D in 2009, contributing $1.46 billion, or 68.9 percent of total funding. See the links below for more information.
