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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. The US Agency for International Development announced the launch of its second request for applications for its ‘Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development’ program, which calls for innovation prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant woman and children in developing countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses its role in global HIV and tuberculosis research and development (R&D) with Science Speaks. Medicines for Malaria Venture announced more than 100 million child-friendly malaria treatments have been delivered to 30 malaria-endemic countries since 2009. The announcement represents a key success story in global health R&D OneWorld Health’s treatment for leishmaniasis is now registered for use in Nepal.

GHTC member OneWorld Health (OWH) recently announced that its treatment for kala-azar, or leishmaniasis, was registered for use in Nepal. In this guest post, OWH explains why this announcement is so significant for global health. Today we are thrilled to announce that our antibiotic Paromomycin Intramuscular Injection (PMIM), developed to treat visceral leishmaniasis (VL or kala-azar), has been registered by the government of Nepal. This is the second registration for PMIM in South Asia. It was previously registered with the government of India and added to the National Lists of Essential Medicines of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It was also added to the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines. Now that the treatment is registered in Nepal, OWH will move forward with our partners on public health studies to help the government determine the best way to distribute and use the treatment in its public health system throughout the VL-endemic regions. What is visceral leishmaniasis? With approximately 500,000 new cases occurring annually, visceral leishmaniasis is the world’s second most deadly parasitic disease after malaria. Fatal if untreated, the official death toll for VL each year is between 50,000 and 60,000. VL is endemic in 79 countries, and primarily afflicts rural, resource-poor populations in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, and Brazil, where affordable therapies are needed. Learn more about kala-azar: Kill or Cure: Kala-Azar Now that the treatment is registered in Nepal, OWH will move forward with our partners on public health studies to help the government determine the best way to distribute and use the treatment in its public health system throughout the VL-endemic regions. Photo credit: OneWorld Health What is Paromomycin Intramuscular Injection? An off-patent aminoglycoside antibiotic, paromomycin is an established drug with an extensive history of use and a well-characterized safety profile. OWH developed PMIM as an effective, inexpensive, and safe treatment for VL, and worked with the Indian government and Indian pharmaceutical company Gland Pharma to manufacture and distribute the treatment. PMIM is administered as a once-a-day injection for 21 days. The cost of a course of treatment with PMIM is less than US$20, which is significantly lower than other currently approved VL therapies. Please visit our website for more information – www.oneworldhealth.org.

Research!America, a member of the GHTC, recently conducted analyses in target states to measure the health and economic impact of global health research and development (R&D), highlighting its benefits for states across the nation and strengthening the evidence base for Congress’ support of federal investments in global health R&D. Mandy Goldberg, MPH, global health R&D advocacy intern, shares the organization’s findings in New Jersey. This is the fifth post in a series. When people think of hotspots for global health R&D, the state of New Jersey may not immediately come to mind. But it should. Despite ranking eleventh in population size, New Jersey ranks third in R&D investment among states, thanks mainly to robust private-sector investment. Health R&D is a pillar of New Jersey’s economy and is critical to economic growth in the state. Despite the current economic climate, R&D spending in New Jersey increased by 11.4 percent in 2010, and global R&D spending was up by $1.4 billion, according to a 2011 report by the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey, implying even more future economic benefits for the state. New Jersey is home to 17 of the 20 largest pharmaceutical, medical technology, and diagnostic companies in the world, including the national headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi-Aventis. The private-sector plays an important role in the development of new and improved vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics for diseases that affect the world’s most vulnerable populations, both through its own R&D work and through its involvement in product development partnerships. New Jersey is a surprising hotbed for global health R&D activity in the United States. It ranks third in R&D investment nationwide and is home to 17 of the 20 largest pharmaceutical, medical technology, and diagnostic companies in the world. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/PATH One noteworthy example of a New Jersey company engaged in global health R&D is Temptime. The company, at the prompting of global health partners, created a small sticker that changes color to show whether a vaccine has been exposed to temperatures that make it unsafe for use. The sticker, originally intended for another use, was repurposed for use with medical products such as vaccines, which need to be kept within a stable temperature range from manufacture until use to remain safe and effective. Temptime’s partnership with PATH and the US Agency for International Development allowed the company to become a world leader in monitoring temperature-sensitive vaccines, enabling the delivery of an additional 140 million doses of vaccines and helping save 140,000 lives worldwide. Past Global Health Council CEO Jeffrey Sturchio referred to New Jersey last year as the “silicon valley of global health research and development,” and 94% of New Jersey residents believe it is important for their state to be a leader in health R&D. Given increasing investment in global health R&D in other countries, continued investment from both the public and private sectors is needed for New Jersey and the United States to preserve their status as leaders in global health R&D and maintain rich economic benefits for the state and nation as a whole.