News: Announcement

A new report finds that the United States government is the largest funder of global health research and development (R&D) in the world, investing $12.7 billion over the past 10 years in the creation of new vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other products for neglected diseases of the developing world. That funding, according to the report, helped lead to the development of more than half of the 45 new health products in the last decade that have been used to save lives around the world. The report, which will be released by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) and Policy Cures on Friday at a briefing in Washington, finds that the US government each year provides around 45 percent of the total global investment and 70 percent of all government investment worldwide in global health R&D. In the last decade, the US government more than doubled its yearly financial commitment to developing new global health products, from $685 million in 2000 to $1.4 billion in 2010. These investments represent just 0.01 percent of US gross domestic product (GDP). The report, Saving lives and creating impact: Why investing in global health research works, finds that five federal agencies—the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense (DoD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—provide significant contributions each year to global health R&D. This commitment from the US Government and its federal agencies has led to a remarkable increase in global health products. Forty-five new health tools were registered between 2000 and 2010, and the US Government was involved in 24, or 53 percent, of these new global health products in the last decade. “This report provides critical new evidence for policymakers in the United States,” GHTC Director Kaitlin Christenson, MPH, said. “We always believed that the United States was a leader in global health R&D, and that US investments were making a huge difference in the global public health landscape. And we now have clear evidence that support these beliefs and shows the critical importance of US support for these lifesaving health tools.” Many of these new products are on course to save millions of lives and dollars around the world. The report looks at two global health technologies developed with US Government support—a new meningitis vaccine and a new test to diagnose tuberculosis (TB)—and finds that US investments have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in savings. For example: Estimates predict that the new meningitis vaccine MenAfriVac™ will prevent approximately 437,000 cases of meningitis over the next 10 years, saving around 43,500 lives and averting around 105,000 disabilities. In all, the introduction of MenAfriVac™ is estimated to save about $570 million in the next decade. The Xpert ® MTB/RIF test is expected to triple the number of patients diagnosed with drug-resistant TB, curbing the spread of drug resistance and enabling patients to be prescribed the correct treatment immediately. In addition, the report highlighted two global health products now under development that could have a major impact in reducing deaths and illnesses. They include: Several HIV vaccines currently under development. New modeling indicates that a vaccine with even 50 percent efficacy provided to just 30 percent of the population could reduce the number of new HIV infections in the developing world by 25 percent over 15 years—preventing 5.6 million new infections. Shorter TB treatment regimens currently under development could reduce transmission of TB by 10 percent, resulting in fewer infections and fewer people requiring treatment for the disease. The United States and its partners are now supporting the largest pipeline ever of new global health products, the report said. Federal agencies are working with partners in the nonprofit, academic, private, and philanthropic sectors to support development of 200 of the 365 products in the pipeline, many of which will become the next generation of lifesaving vaccines, drugs, and other tools. “Our report also shows that a sustained and even increased commitment to global health R&D from the United States is needed now, especially as several promising research projects are moving toward later-stage clinical trials—the final steps to ensure that the products are effective and safe,” Christenson said. This next generation of global health products promises to deliver even greater health and economic gains, both at home and abroad. For instance, the report finds that funding for global health R&D not only benefits the developing world—it also boosts the US economy. Around 64 cents in every dollar spent by the US government on global health R&D goes directly to US-based researchers. “After years of neglect, the global health R&D landscape for new products has been transformed in the last decade, driven by sustained investment from the US government and increasing support from industry, other public funders, and philanthropic agencies like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” the report says. The report finds that the health and economic benefits, both domestically and internationally, provide clear reasons for the United States to continue its support for global health R&D. It also offers recommendations for how the US Government can generate an even greater impact from its investments in new global health products. These include maintaining funding levels for global health R&D and increasing these levels where possible; and bolstering its partnerships with industry, nonprofit groups, and the philanthropic sector to translate promising research into new successful health products. The report also noted that US support for global health R&D has been heavily tilted toward basic science research and increased support for the later stages of research will be needed as more products move into the final stages. “We now have proof that the US government has made a lasting impact on health around the world through its support of research for new health tools,” Christenson said. “As the United States and its partners work to push the next generation of lifesaving products over the research finish line and into the hands of people in need worldwide, this report provides a way forward for making US investments in global health R&D even more effective.”

A coalition of 30 leading global health organizations that work on vaccines, drugs, and other tools and technologies that save lives today released a list of recommendations for US policymakers and regulators, calling for acceleration of scientific innovations and streamlining the approval of safe and affordable inventions in order to save more lives around the world. The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), a group funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and designed to give a greater voice for those advancing technologies for better health, recommended foremost in its annual report that in this difficult budget climate US policymakers should protect and sustain American investments in global health research and product development. The report, which cited a long list of scientific achievements in the last year, said previous performance in global health has been remarkable and that more advances are now in the pipeline. Past funding has “yielded strong returns, resulting in new health tools with immense public health impact, in addition to fueling American job creation and domestic economic benefits,” the report said. “This past year we have seen breakthrough after breakthrough in global health—including vaccines, drugs, and tools that detect diseases,” said Kaitlin Christenson, GHTC’s coalition director. “The impact of the investments in global health technologies is immense. These discoveries literally save thousands and thousands of lives every day in the developing world.” Christenson said US investment has been a principal factor in a host of critical advances in the last year, including: for the first time, a proof-of-concept showed that a gel called a microbicide can protect women against HIV and herpes; a new meningitis vaccine, costing less than 50 cents a dose, was launched in Africa and is expected to protect millions of people from death and disability; and the world’s leading malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S, is now in its last phase of clinical research in several countries in Africa. “US support has been instrumental for all of these innovations,” Christenson said. “What is encouraging is that US support has also helped accelerate other global health advances to come, in areas such as tuberculosis drugs, which would significantly shorten the amount of time a person would need to be on the medication. The advances are going to continue.” Dr. Alex Dehgan, science and technology advisor to the administrator of the US Agency for International Development, said that global health issues affected US citizens as well, and that technological innovation would help protect everyone. "We are dealing with a set of interconnected problems around the world," he said. "What happens in Rwanda affects us in Topeka, and we need to pay attention to these things. That's why global health research and development is so important to us and is so connected to our own well-being. This report reminds us once again how US-funded global health research and development has made a critical and often life-saving difference in the lives of people around the world, and how it also offers multiple benefits to those of us in the United States." Those benefits from global health research and development include major boosts to local and state economies throughout the country. One study in the state of California, for instance, found that global health supports about 350,000 jobs that generate $19.7 billion in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. In Washington state, global health supports 13,700 jobs that generate $1.7 billion in economic impact. GHTC’s report issues three sets of recommendations on funding policy, strengthening the Food and Drug Administration’s role in global health, and innovative financing. The 30 global health organizations’ funding policy recommendations are: Sustaining and protecting US investments in global health research and product development. Developing concrete plans to incorporate research and development as a key priority within US global health and development programs. Ensuring that US investments in global health research are coordinated, efficient, and streamlined. Its recommendations for FDA’s increased role are: Releasing recommendations recently developed by its neglected diseases review group, and allow for public comment. Establishing stronger partnerships with other regulatory stakeholders, including the World Health Organization. Bolstering its internal expertise in neglected diseases, which could include inviting experts from developing countries to serve on its advisory boards. Increasing its engagement with groups developing global health tools. And Congress should include appropriations language to support the FDA’s role in global health and fund the agency accordingly in next year’s budget legislation. Its recommendations for incentives and innovative financing for global health are: Establishing a cross-agency working group to explore US investment in incentives and innovative financing mechanisms for global health. Engaging with civil society, nongovernmental organizations, and private industry on this issue. Engaging with other governments and donors to explore and support incentives and innovative financing. Supporting a portfolio of incentives and financing mechanisms to stimulate needed research and development at all stages of the product development process. And conducting continuous rigorous assessments of each incentive and financing mechanism that the United States supports.   The 30 global health organizations that support the recommendations are: Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene BIO Ventures for Global Health CD4 Initiative CONRAD Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Family Health International Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics GAVI Alliance Global Alliance for TB Drug Development Global Campaign for Microbicides Global Health Council Infectious Disease Research Institute Innovative Vector Control Consortium Institute for OneWorld Health International AIDS Vaccine Initiative International Partnership for Microbicides International Vaccine Access Center International Vaccine Institute Medicines for Malaria Venture PATH PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative Population Council Public Health Institute Research!America Sabin Vaccine Institute Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Seattle BioMed Treatment Action Group  

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), a group of more than 30 leading international health organizations, today released recommendations to elevate the role of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in global health. The GHTC released its recommendations at a pivotal hearing hosted by the FDA to examine its role in regulating and reviewing crucial global health products, such as vaccines, drugs, microbicides, diagnostics, and other tools that save lives worldwide. The FDA is best known for its work to protect the health of US consumers, but the agency has a history of leveraging its expertise to benefit people around the world and is playing an increasingly vital role in global health issues. As the Obama Administration and other US leaders continue to prioritize global health and development, the FDA can play an important role in efforts to ensure the safety of health tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases that affect millions of people worldwide every year. The GHTC's recommendations call on the FDA to: Help build regulatory capacity in developing nations through increased collaboration with countries and regional regulatory networks. Strengthen its partnership with global regulatory stakeholders, such as the World Health Organization, that are working to enhance access to health tools for the developing world. Work more closely with groups and entities, such as public-private partnerships, developing the tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases of the developing world. "The FDA has invaluable skills and expertise," said Kaitlin Christenson, coalition manager for the GHTC who testified at the FDA hearing. "The agency is now poised to share this knowledge and help introduce safe and effective health tools that can save millions of people worldwide every year. It is truly an exciting time for the FDA as it determines how it can best play a role in facilitating access to life-saving global health products, as well as the millions of people worldwide who will eventually benefit from the agency's vast expertise." The GHTC released its recommendations at today's public hearing to examine the FDA's role in global health hosted by the agency's newly mandated review group for neglected diseases of the developing world. Next year, this review group is scheduled to deliver recommendations to Congress on FDA's role in ensuring that safe and effective global health products reach people in need worldwide. "Many countries around the world do not have the resources to regulate health tools and ensure that only safe and effective products are distributed to people in need," said Dr. Mike Brennan, senior advisor for global affairs at the AERAS Global TB Vaccine Foundation and a GHTC member. "By taking three key steps—helping to build regulatory capacity in developing countries, strengthening its ties with global stakeholders like the World Health Organization, and working more closely with public-private partnerships and other groups developing the tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases of the developing world—the FDA can help accelerate the delivery of the right health tools into the hands of people who need them most."

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) recently released its first annual policy report, which provides recommendations for Congress and the Administration on how to position the United States as the leader in a worldwide movement to strengthen global health research and development (R&D). The report—titled Innovation in action: policies to accelerate the development and delivery of global health tools—focuses on how the United States can bolster coordination with domestic and international stakeholders to ensure that global health tools like vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, microbicides, and other products reach populations in need around the world. It makes recommendations in three areas: Public financing and coordination across the US agencies involved in global health research. Regulatory pathways to ensure that safe health products reach populations in need. Incentives to spur public sector involvement in global health research and innovative financing mechanisms to identify new ways of raising and allocating funds. The United States has long been at the forefront of efforts to develop tools to address global health diseases. US investment and innovation have contributed to remarkable progress in preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases. Despite these breakthroughs, existing technologies are not sufficient to address drug resistance or new infectious conditions, while only outdated or insufficient technologies exist for some of the most intractable diseases worldwide. For this reason, accelerating the development and delivery of global health tools is critical to reaching broader US global health goals. The United States is poised to address these issues head on. With the release of the US Global Health Initiative (GHI), US policymakers have the opportunity to ensure that a commitment to research and innovation to develop new products and tools is a central part of the nation's efforts to improve health worldwide. The GHTC's report examines the financing and regulatory issues that affect global health R&D, highlighting why innovation and product development are critical to the overall US global health strategy. By pursuing the policy actions outlined in the GHTC’s report, Congress and the Administration have the opportunity to boost the critical research and innovation needed to address global health diseases and to ensure that the most effective tools are available both today and tomorrow. Global health experts call for US leadership during GHTC event The report was released at the GHTC's first annual Congressional briefing, which highlighted how the United States has long been a leader in R&D for global health diseases. Keynote speaker Dr. Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, highlighted the critical role that R&D plays in reaching the overall US global health goals. Dr. Maria Freire, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and the second keynote speaker, called for the United States to lead a worldwide movement to elevate global health R&D. “We must deepen our funding of research for health and ensure that it remains not only a national priority, but a global imperative. Millions of lives, our own and those of our neighbors, depend on it." Dr. Freire said at the briefing. She added, "As the leader in biomedical research, our country can spearhead a global movement for increased and sustainable funding for research that will transform the world." Panelists at the event included Dr. Christy Hanson, chief of the Infectious Disease Division at the US Agency for International Development's Bureau for Global Health, and Sylvie Kwedi, president and founder of CLEAR, Inc. (Capacity for Leadership Excellence and Research).  View individual speeches at the links listed below: GHTC expo introduction Dr. Nils Daulaire at the GHTC expo (part 1) Dr. Nils Daulaire at the GHTC expo (part 2) Dr. Maria Freire at the GHTC expo Dr. Christy Hanson at the GHTC expo Sylvie Kwedi at the GHTC expo