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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. Last April, Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) launched the 21st Century Cures initiative, holding hearings and consultations to identify ways that Congress can accelerate Americans' access to new treatments from the development to delivery stage. A discussion draft of the legislation was released last week by Republican members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced on Thursday that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee will release legislation to complement the 21st Century Cures Act, stating that “One of the committee’s top priorities this year will be modernizing the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], helping to get treatments and medicines to patients as quickly and as safely as possible.” President Obama submitted his annual budget request to Congress yesterday, in which he asked for US$1.2 billion to fight antimicrobial resistance. This funding would be invested into developing new antibiotics and diagnostics, monitoring drug-resistant infections, and preventing the spread of resistant “superbugs,” particularly in healthcare settings. Obama also asked for $280 and $77 million, for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA, respectively, to combat the overuse of antibiotics in both humans and livestock. Last week witnessed major wins for vaccine development and access. The US Agency for International Development announced that the US Government will commit $1 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, over the next four years. Pfizer, Inc., a major American pharmaceutical company, pledged to reduce the price of its pneumococcal vaccine by 6 percent in poor countries. The announcement has been greeted with disparate responses. Kate Elder, a vaccines policy advisor at Doctors without Borders called the price cut "tiny" and "inadequate," however Bill Gates warned that such criticism discourages pharmaceutical companies from investing into the research and development of drugs for developing countries. Serum Institute of India is currently developing several products intended to rival existing vaccines and to be sold at significantly lower prices. The Institute’s human papillomavirus vaccine could be available as early as 2018, and the manufacturers plan to sell it at one-third of the price of Merck & Co.’s Gardasil vaccine.

Today the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) welcomes Erin Will Morton as its Coalition Director. Morton joins the GHTC from her previous position as Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor at the District Policy Group. While at the District Policy Group, Morton worked with a range of clients to develop and implement strategic government relations and advocacy programs. Morton has extensive experience in managing and convening coalitions and building support among coalition member organizations, and she has worked on a variety of policy areas, including grassroots advocacy, global health, medical simulation, Medicare reimbursement, and cancer care. Before joining the District Policy Group, Erin worked in the political department of NARAL, a national nonprofit women’s reproductive health organization in Washington, DC, where she participated in grassroots organizing during the 2006 Congressional elections. Erin received her bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. Morton is succeeding Kaitlin Christenson, who served as GHTC Coalition Director from May 2009 to October 2014.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Trials of an experimental Ebola vaccine candidate developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will begin in Liberia within the next few weeks. The vaccine has been successfully tested on 200 volunteers in the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Mali. GSK sent an initial 300 doses to Liberia on Friday and plans to ultimately enroll 30,000 volunteers in the trial. GSK and NIH are partnering with Merck & Co to inject 10,000 volunteers each with the GSK/NIH vaccine, a vaccine candidate developed by NewLink Genetics Corp, and a placebo. National Geographic took an in-depth look at three tropical diseases that present an emerging threat to Americans: dengue, Chagas, and chikungunya. The article highlights the need for research and development (R&D) of improved diagnostics for Chagas, and vaccines for chikungunya and dengue. All three diseases are spread by insects, and specialists fear they could spread to insect populations in the United States. Bill and Melinda Gates released their annual letter last week, in which they discussed the progress they hope to see in the next 15 years in global health and development. The Gates Foundation is making an ambitious bet—that the lives of poor people will improve faster in the next 15 years than ever before. They are calling on decision-makers involved in the post-2015 development agenda processes to make realistic goals. The letter emphasizes the importance of innovation in improving the lives of people in poor countries, claiming “these breakthroughs will be driven by innovation in technology—ranging from new vaccines and hardier crops to much cheaper smartphones and tablets.”

President Obama discussed global health and innovation in the 2015 State of the Union address. Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza While others were playing State of the Union bingo or creating pretty word clouds, GHTC was closely watching the State of the Union address to see what President Barack Obama would say about US engagement in global health and America’s leadership in science and innovation. GHTC was glad to see the President highlight American involvement in combatting Ebola and underscore the need for a more effective global effort to address future health crises. Obama said: “In West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses and healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola — saving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease. I couldn’t be prouder of them, and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts. But the job is not yet done — and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.” The President also emphasized how American investments in research and innovation have saved lives and contributed to the economy. He said: “21st century businesses will rely on American science, technology, research, and development. I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine — one that delivers the right treatment at the right time.” GHTC was pleased to see America’s Commander-in-Chief draw attention to the US role in advancing innovation to save lives. For more information on why US policymakers should invest in global health research and development, check out our recent blog post, “10 reasons why US policymakers should support global health research and development.”