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On Tuesday night, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union address to Congress. While the President was not as focused on using science to help the United States out-innovate the rest of the world as he was during last year’s State of the Union address, he did re-commit his administration to harnessing the strength of innovation to create an “America built to last.” Obama stressed the importance of basic research in the development of new health tools. He also urged Congress not to cut parts of the budget that will hurt the promise of science and technology: “Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.” President Obama called on Congress to support the work of entrepreneurs and researchers—through tax breaks and other financial incentives, in addition to funding. Much of the speech targeted improvements to domestic priorities such as American job creation, immigration policy reform, and finance industry management. However, it was clear that the President is seeking a renewal of American leadership around the world through engagement on international human rights and international business. Leadership in global health research and innovation will be a critical part of this effort. Recent global health R&D news–from the exciting preliminary results of a malaria vaccine to the startling news of a completely drug resistant TB strain–demonstrates the that the US should not halt or slow its support for R&D in the fight against global health challenges. President Obama stressed the importance of basic research in the development of new health tools during his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/PATH. This year is a pivotal one for US support of global health R&D for several reasons. These include changes at the Global Fund, the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, this summer, the roll-out of the new National Center for Advancing Translational Science at the National Institutes of Health, and additional research results from a number of important studies. All of these are mixed with looming budget sequestration cuts and a presidential election. President Obama’s speech made it clear that he will support the R&D programs that lead to cost-effective tools that can save lives. It is yet to be seen if Congress will follow suit. You can find a video of the speech, with accompanying charts here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2012

Research!America, a member of the GHTC, recently conducted analyses across a select group of 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. Danielle Doughman, Program Manager, Global Health R&D Advocacy, wrote this blog post to share the organization’s findings in the state of California. This post is the first of a series in which Research!America will continue to profile various states from around the country. Global health research not only has the potential to save lives and prevent disabilities, it is good business. And Californians agree. A clear majority—58%—agree that global health research is important to the state’s economy, and 70% agree that Americans would be better off if the United States invests in global health research. The need for better drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable—about one in six people around the world—has been well-documented on this blog. The diseases include ones we’ve all heard of, like HIV and AIDS, but also killers that receive less attention, such as pneumonia and diarrhea. As part of our examination into what the United States is doing to advance global health R&D and why our continued support of such work is crucial for the health and prosperity of our future, we will examine six US state case studies, starting with California. California’s world class universities, businesses, and nonprofits create a robust global health sector with significant impacts on job creation, tax revenue and health. 70% of Californians agree that Americans would be better off if the United States invests in global health research. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/PATH In 2010, the state received $3.3 billion from the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest funder of global health research, supporting more than 62,000 high-quality jobs in the state. Overall, the global health sector supported 350,000 jobs in California with $19.7 billion in wages in 2007, the most recent year for which data are available. There are many, many public, private, academic, and philanthropic partners doing notable work in California and fostering productive collaborations across the United States and around the world. Here are just two examples: The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative’s Neutralizing Antibodies Center in La Jolla experienced recent breakthroughs that could play a major role in ending the HIV pandemic. The discovery of powerful, broadly-neutralizing antibodies have significant implications for AIDS vaccine design. What’s more, the same strategies may be applied to the development of a universal flu vaccine, potentially eliminating the need for annual flu vaccinations. Between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people, so a universal flu vaccine would help save lives here in the United States and around the world. Malaria kills 650,000 people each year and results in $12 billion in endemic countries' lost gross domestic product annually. An affordable treatment means more children live, attend school, and can contribute to society. South San Francisco’s OneWorld Health, the first non-profit pharmaceutical company in the United States, works on drug development for malaria and other diseases of the developing world. Just last year, Sanofi, in partnership with OneWorld, began production of semisynthetic artemisinin, a breakthrough compound that makes effective malaria treatment much more affordable for the 200 million people—mostly kids—who contract it each year. The drug was developed at OneWorld with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this regular feature onBreakthroughs, we’ll highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted the importance of research and product development in the fight against AIDS. She declared that creating an AIDS-free generation is a policy priority for the United States. A new report from GHTC member the Treatment Action Group (TAG) shows funding for TB research and development is falling, but GHTC member the TB Alliance and several organizations are collaborating to accelerate development of drugs to fight the disease. The top innovators in medical research spent three days exploring the partnerships and alliances that could help speed medical progress at the Partnering for Cures meeting. An editorial in The Minnesota Daily urges Congress to preserve foreign aid funding as it has helped save lives and improve the quality of life for people around the world. Two GHTC members, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and One World Health, are among the organizations forming a partnership to launch a project that will fight visceral leishmaniasis. The Obama Administration is expanding the Global Health Initiative to include another 21 countries, bringing the total amount of focus countries to 29.

Last week, HHS released its first-ever global health strategy at an event that convened leaders from several US agencies involved in global health, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations. Releasing the strategy, which highlights many priorities for global health research and development (R&D), is an important move for HHS, as it encompasses agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all of which play crucial parts in global health R&D. HHS Secretary Dr. Kathleen Sebelius, who spoke at the event, stated that “we can no longer separate global health from America’s health … our only chance to keep Americans safe is if our systems for preventing, detecting, and containing disease stretch across the globe too.” She also noted that “every day, Americans benefit from efforts in global health, whether they know it or not.” Sebelius emphasized that the HHS global health strategy should not be an extra, isolated add-on to other programs, but must be an extension of HHS domestic programs and its already-existing programs in global health, with the following goals: To focus on areas where HHS can engage globally in work that benefits and improves the health and well-being of Americans. This will include promoting research partnerships that help develop new treatments to support this goal. To provide leadership in areas where HHS has unique technical expertise, “starting with the world’s leading researchers at the NIH, its leading epidemiologists at the CDC, and its leading regulators at the FDA.” To work with other US agencies and the Administration to advance US interests in global health and support the President’s Global Health Initiative. Sebelius' opening remarks were followed by a panel discussion moderated by KFF Executive Vice President Diane Rowland. Panelists included Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Affairs at HHS; Ariel Pablos-Méndez, assistant administrator for Global Health at the US Agency for International Development; Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of state for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA; Harvey Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine; and Jen Kates, vice president and director of Global Health and HIV Policy at KFF. While Sebelius’ speech emphasized the role of the strategy in meeting the health needs of the American population and US diplomatic goals, the panel discussion did the reverse—it examined how US agencies could be more engaged in global health work, and where they are strategically a best fit. The panel had several insights for the use of the HHS strategy and the future of HHS engagement in global health work abroad, including partnerships with HHS agencies not traditionally known as global health leaders—such the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which could help to strengthen health system capacity around the world. The new strategy includes many major objectives that seek to spur global health R&D in order to develop new tools and interventions to help improve health and save lives around the world. These objectives include: Preventing infectious diseases and other health threats, including through measures such as vaccine development, boosting manufacturing capacity, and improving vector control. Increasing investments in regulatory science and partnerships worldwide. Strengthening multilateral efforts to promote science-based standards and guidelines for global health. Amplifying research and innovation to promote the development of new tools and approaches to help prevent, diagnose, and control disease. Overall, the strategy represents a great step forward in global health R&D at the HHS agencies, and a recognition of how essential their programs are, both to the US and populations around the world.