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Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infectious diseases that exert a crushing burden in vulnerable communities around the world. These diseases can blind, disable, and disfigure people, robbing them of health and opportunity and trapping them in poverty. While breakthroughs in recent years have brought new resources to the fight against NTDs, significant gaps remain in the arsenal of tools needed to control and eliminate these diseases. In recognition of World NTD Day on January 30, GHTC is testing our readers’ knowledge with nine questions about NTD innovation. See if you can beat our quiz below, and join the fight to #BeatNTDs and #EndTheNeglect. 

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. A recently published study, led by the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), found that three different antibodies independently protected monkeys from acquiring simian-HIV, findings that could inform the development of an HIV vaccine for people. The antibodies, one isolated from a person living with HIV and the other two from rhesus macaques, all target the fusion peptide, a site on an HIV surface protein that helps the virus fuse with and enter cells, with the results validating the fusion peptide as a potential target for a human vaccine. Hopefully, the approach will continue to show promise in future studies, although a vaccine for humans would need to be able to generate multiple varieties of antibodies directed at the fusion peptide to increase the likelihood that the vaccine could prevent the full diversity of HIV variants.A study published last week found that simnotrelvir, a COVID-19 drug administered as a series of pills, was effective in speeding recovery from mild to moderate disease. The drug was tested primarily in young people with standard levels of risk, a change from earlier antiviral drug trials during the pandemic, which included mostly people at high risk of severe COVID-19. The researchers combined simnotrelvir with a component of Paxlovid, currently the most widely used COVID-19 pill, with strong results and the only downsides similar to those of Paxlovid: bad taste and incompatibility with some common medications. Simnotrelvir has been available in China under an emergency use authorization since early last year and has been incredibly popular due, in part, to its much lower price tag compared to Paxlovid.Last week, the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) announced that it is awarding $633,000 to Intravacc to develop a vaccine for gonorrhea, which is the world’s second most reported sexually transmitted infection. The new vaccine could be a game changer in curbing new cases of gonorrhea, as well as addressing the rising spread of resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to the only antibiotic still effective in treating it. The funding will support the early-stage development of Intravacc’s meningococcal outer membrane vesical vaccine, which includes antigens designed to protect against infections caused by N. gonorrhoeae.

WASHINGTON, DC (January 22, 2024)—Today, the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) announced the appointment of Dr. Kristie Mikus as the organization’s new executive director, effective February 26, 2024. Dr. Mikus will lead the coalition’s advocacy efforts to accelerate the creation of new technologies to drive global health progress. Dr. Mikus comes to GHTC from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she most recently served as senior policy advisor for the Global Health Center. She brings extensive experience in public policy, partnership building and program management in the global health sector from her two decades spent serving the U.S. government in various capacities, both in Washington, D.C., and abroad. Prior to her current role, Dr. Mikus served as the CDC deputy country director in Zambia and the Zambia country coordinator for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She has also held positions in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Foreign Assistance, where she led foreign assistance reform efforts, and the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, first as a PEPFAR congressional liaison and later as PEPFAR country lead for South Africa, Tanzania, Haiti, Guyana, Mozambique and Zambia. Dr. Mikus first started her career in government at the U.S. Department of Commerce helping to negotiate free trade agreements for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology as a Presidential Management Fellow. “We are thrilled to welcome Kristie to GHTC. She’s a skilled and passionate leader with a comprehensive understanding of policy dynamics from her governmental roles, coupled with her firsthand experiences in countries that partner with the U.S. in global health initiatives,” stated Heather Ignatius, chief of external affairs at PATH, where the GHTC secretariat is based, and leader of the executive search team. “Kristie’s unique background, which includes actively working alongside these nations, positions her perfectly for cultivating collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, both within and outside of government. Her depth of experience and dedication to advancing innovation for global health makes her an outstanding choice to lead the coalition into its next chapter.” “I’ve had the opportunity get to know the GHTC community from my time within government, and I have seen firsthand how this coalition is a trusted source of expertise for U.S. and global policymakers and a powerful voice for the role of technology in advancing global health. I am honored and excited to take the helm of such a well-respected and dynamic organization and look forward to working with the coalition’s members and partners to continue to accelerate innovation to save lives worldwide,” said Dr. Mikus. Dr. Mikus will succeed former Executive Director Jamie Bay Nishi, who stepped down in December after leading the coalition through a period of significant growth and evolution over the past seven years. Under Dr. Mikus’ leadership, GHTC will continue to work to advance policies and funding to accelerate the development of vaccines, drugs and other technologies that improve global health. ### About GHTC The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) works to save and improve lives by encouraging the research and development of essential health technologies. We bring together more than 45 nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and aligned businesses to advance policies to accelerate the creation of new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, and other tools that bring healthy lives within reach for all people. 

As the governance body of the World Health Organization (WHO) meets next week for the 154th session of the Executive Board (EB)—which features agenda items on immunization, tuberculosis (TB), neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—GHTC urges policymakers to prioritize the following actions to strengthen research and development (R&D) to address these urgent health challenges:Develop a comprehensive global immunization research framework to support the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030. The framework should outline priority research areas and foster global collaboration to address research gaps and accelerate vaccine development and introduction.Substantially increase investments in TB R&D and embrace global research coordinating platforms. To meet the goals of the Global Strategy on Tuberculosis Research and Innovation, member states must increase domestic investments in TB R&D in line with fair share targets and supercharge research efforts to develop novel vaccines, point-of-care diagnostics, and improved therapies, while ensuring tools are appropriate for all populations, including pregnant people and children. Member states should also embrace platforms that support improved TB research coordination, such as the new prioritized research agenda for drug-resistant TB and common research protocols.Expand investments in NTD R&D to address gaps in the availability of safe and affordable diagnostics and treatments. In implementing research efforts to support the NTD roadmap, member states and WHO should position impacted countries to lead in R&D priority setting, promote South-South collaboration models, consider the growing impact of climate change, and ensure interventions are tailored to the unique needs of different regions. They should also consider ways to better align the prequalification and regulatory approval processes to accelerate access to diagnostics.Bolster investments and incentives for R&D for new antimicrobials and other tools to fight AMR and improve global surveillance and laboratory capacity. Innovations should be developed with the goal of promoting broad accessibility, including for vulnerable populations and those in low-resource settings. Members states should actively participate in the global surveillance system for AMR and support the creation of a global AMR laboratory network to strengthen diagnostic capacity. In advance of this year’s United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on AMR, it is also vital that WHO and other relevant UN agencies hold an open, inclusive consultative process to define global AMR priorities.Read GHTC’s full position statements on each agenda item below.