Research Roundup: a weakened HIV virus, SDGs, powdered measles vaccine, and more

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Last week, Policy Cures released its annual G-FINDER report, which analyzes global investment in neglected disease research and development (R&D). The report revealed a US$193 million (6.2 percent) decrease in global funding from 2012 to 2013 primarily due to the US budget sequester, which led to a $188 million (13 percent) decline in funding for the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest funder of neglected disease R&D worldwide. The United Kingdom’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance released its first report, which warned that, by 2050, up to 10 million people could die each year from drug-resistant infections, costing the global economy US$100 trillion annually. Economist Jim O’Neill, chief author of the report, believes that this crisis can be mitigated through increased R&D into new antimicrobial drugs and changes in drug-use practices. Two announcements were recently made that could benefit pharmaceutical companies working to develop Ebola vaccines. Last Tuesday, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell announced that drug makers developing Ebola vaccines would be offered legal and financial immunity through the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, and she urged other nations to follow suit to ensure that “legitimate concerns about liability do not hold back the possibility of developing an Ebola vaccine.” Last Thursday, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced that it would commit $300 million to purchase Ebola vaccines once the World Health Organization approved a product. Gavi hopes this move will incentivize pharmaceutical investment and development. The Atlantic takes an in-depth look at the slow and often frustrating work of developing new drugs and treatments. The article explores the careers of leading scientists—including NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH—illustrating how their work requires patience, resilience, and the ability to constantly live with and learn from failure.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, GHTC’s communications officer Marissa Chmiola put together a list of ten global health advancements she’s thankful for this holiday season. The list includes advancements toward polio eradication, new Ebola treatments, vaccine candidates against hookworm, dengue fever, malaria, and much more. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a new policy that will require all research it funds to be published in a manner that is free for the public to access. Vox gives the lowdown on how this new policy could impact researchers. Since this Gates Foundation policy is in conflict with the practice of top scientific journals who charge access fees for their articles, Gates-funded scientists could have to stop publishing their articles in these top journals. On the other hand, it’s also possible that since the Gates Foundation funds so much research—spending US$900 million each year—these journals may have to change their policies or lose out on publishing potentially important research. The New Yorker takes an in-depth look at how the growing global vaccine market is spurring companies to pursue development of an Ebola vaccine. According to the author, companies have realized that while vaccines can be more difficult to develop than prescription drugs, that difficulty can also be an asset because it is then harder for generic companies to produce copycat versions. While an Ebola vaccine likely won’t become a big money maker for pharmaceutical companies, with government and aid agencies offsetting some of the development costs, companies could break even on their investments and gain some positive publicity in the process. This past week saw lots of great articles for World AIDS Day discussing progress on fighting HIV and AIDS. The International Partnership for Microbicides’ Chief Executive Officer Dr. Zeda Rosenberg discusses the need for new products such as microbicides which will help women protect themselves from HIV. AVAC’s Executive Director Mitchell Warren argues that more precision is needed in setting the prevention targets to meet UNAIDS five-year goal of reducing HIV infections by 500,000, including research into new prevention and treatment options.