Tag Archives: neglected tropical diseases

Global Health Progress Amplifies Report Calling for Funding Products to Fight Neglected Tropical Diseases

The third-annual Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases (G-FINDER) survey was released last week revealing both good and bad news for the funding of neglected diseases in the developing world. In a press release issued by Policy Cures, an independent group providing research and analysis for those involved in the creation of new pharmaceuticals for neglected diseases, the group reveals that while funding for neglected diseases has increased, funding for new products has decreased.

Funders appear to be focusing more of their money toward traditional basic research. This shift has caused a $50 million drop in funding for Product Development Partnerships (PDP), non-profit organizations that partner with external organizations to drive product development for neglected diseases, including neglected tropical diseases.

Report author Dr Mary Moran, Director of Policy Cures warns funders not to “take their eyes off the ball” in the press release, stating that while the increase in funding is encouraging it is important that the funds are spent wisely.

Global Health Progress has worked with partner groups to encourage and sustain funding for the research and development of new products. The innovative research and development (R&D) of new drugs and vaccines is a critical component of improving health care and combating epidemics of neglected tropical diseases in developing countries. There are no vaccines or cures for some widespread and life threatening diseases such as malaria, while existing treatments for diseases such as tuberculosis are becoming less effective due to drug resistance.

Read the full press release from Policy Cures here:
http://globalhealthprogress.org/mediacenter/wp-content/uploads/G-FINDER_Year_3_media_release.pdf,
or read the G-FINDER report on the Policy Cures website:
http://www.policycures.org/downloads/g-finder_2010.pdf.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) Joins The Pool for Open Innovation Against Neglected Tropical Diseases

Global Health Progress (GHP) is pleased to highlight the announcement that the not-for-profit public-private partnership Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) will became the first product development partnership (PDP) to contribute intellectual property to The Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases (The Pool).

MMV joined GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in providing intellectual property to The Pool. Discussing the decision, Professor Patrick Nef, Executive Vice President of Business Development at MMV, states, “In this way we hope to make fully available the know-how and technologies, assembled by MMV against malaria, for the research and development of innovative and efficacious treatments for other neglected diseases.”

By emphasizing a more accessible approach to intellectual property and know-how, The Pool facilitates access to patents and/or technologies for organizations that want to conduct research on treatments and motivates innovative and efficient drug discoveries and developments for neglected diseases.

The Pool is administered by BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH). It’s accessible to industry, non-profit institutions, and academic researchers who conduct research and drug development activities that deliver real benefits for patients in the least developed countries of the world.

Global Health Progress echoes the sentiment that MMV’s contribution of patents to The Pool, resulting from its research for new antimalarials, is an important milestone from an organization that plays a major role in leading the development of new therapeutics for malaria.

Global Health Progress supports the continuing partnership between not-for-profit public-private partnerships and research-based biopharmaceutical companies as a way to fight neglected tropical disease through targeted research and development (R&D), improving access to critical medicines and providing key intellectual property.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases