Breakthroughs Blog: Research Roundup

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The latest G-FINDER report finds that annual investment in neglected disease research and development (R&D) from donors worldwide has been in the decline in recent years. And while the report finds that the United States has maintained its position as the top funder of neglected disease R&D, US funding still decreased in 2011 by $30.6 million. A treatment for sleeping sickness has entered clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and trials will start soon in Central African Republic. The study was initiated by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and its partners. A new opinion piece argues that sequestration “would significantly delay new, life-saving medical treatments. But what many people don’t realize is that the massive cuts also would put a chokehold on the creation of high-tech jobs and threaten US global competitiveness.” The US Food and Drug Administration approved 35 new medicines in its fiscal year 2012, which ended in September, according to a new report. That number is one of the highest levels in years. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Christopher Coons (D-DE) have introduced legislation that aims to bolster the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity initiative by making certificates awarded through the program transferable to third parties.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. GHTC member Aeras has announced that it has signed an agreementwith GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines (GSK) to jointly advance the development of a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate. A new series in the Financial Times looks at neglected tropical diseases, including their economic burden, the need for improved treatment methods, and the need for research and development funding. Genocea Biosciences, a company that advances vaccines for infectious diseases, has raised $30 million in new funding from groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. An article examines how the priority review voucher program, an “innovative funding model for research into neglected diseases,” has “finally come of age.” GSK also announced this week that it plans to make clinical trial data available to other researchers, as well as open its TB compound library to help stimulate research.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Christopher Austin has been named the new director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. A new analysis compares the innovation and science policies of presidential candidates Barack Obama (D) and Mitt Romney (R). A bill signed into law earlier this year that provided the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with funding is at risk due to federal budget negotiations. An opinion piece calls on US policymakers to “get serious” about funding scientific and research efforts. A breakthrough tool to combat tuberculosis has been launchedby the Critical Path Institute and the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC). The project was the result of collaboration between the Critical Path Institute, CDISC, the FDA, and others through the Critical Path to TB Drug Regimens. Researchers met this week in Boston for the AIDS Vaccine 2012 conference to discuss the latest in efforts to develop a vaccine against the disease.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Researchers say that a new discovery could pave the way for the development of flu treatments or even a universal vaccine. GHTC member the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, in partnership with India’s Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, recently launched a new HIV Vaccine Design Program. An increasing number of new medical devices are aiming to help people deal with health conditions in ways that previously required the aid of a medical professional. GHTC member the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative recently named some of the world's most eminent malaria scientists to its Vaccine Science Portfolio Advisory Council. In related news, the biotechnology company Antigen Discovery has received a three-year grant worth $2.5 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for its efforts to develop a malaria vaccine.