News: Announcement

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) welcomes commitments by G7 nations to advancing health research and development (R&D) included in the G7 Apulia Leaders’ Communiqué. GHTC was pleased to see G7 leaders explicitly recommit to ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, in particular, through support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as neglected tropical diseases and polio as public health threats by 2030, and to countering the effects of climate change on infectious diseases. While it was encouraging to see this signal of political will at the highest level of government, it was disappointing that leaders fell short of offering new funding pledges or specific plans to realize these aims. We also welcome the expression of support by G7 leaders for the Pandemic Fund, which included a call for expanding the donor base and securing at least US$2 billion in new pledges and cofinancing. Given that the fund could prove a powerful new financial instrument for strengthening R&D and regulatory capacity in low- and middle-income countries, we hope that G7 leaders will follow through and provide new commitments as part of the fund’s replenishment this fall. On antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it was encouraging to see leaders vow to support public-private partnerships and implement push and pull incentives to accelerate the development of new antimicrobials and other tools to combat AMR. We also appreciate the G7 articulating support for an “ambitious” Political Declaration for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR, with concrete targets and an evidence-based panel to drive action. We hope that in the coming months, new R&D targets will be included in the final text to complement the current high-level global targets outlined in the zero draft. While we applaud G7 leaders for voicing their continued support for research initiatives to confront emerging and enduring health threats, we now call on them to match their statements with follow-through and financial pledges to translate these commitments into reality. 

This year’s World Health Assembly represents a pivotal moment for global leaders to put in place policies that will bolster our preparedness against emerging threats and reinvigorate the battle against longstanding health challenges. As member states consider agenda items before this year’s assembly, the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) urges policymakers to prioritize the following actions to accelerate global health innovation:Adopt a resolution on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with bold new commitments to spur the development of new tools and improve global surveillance capacity. This should include a pledge by member states to increase investments and incentives for research and development (R&D) of new antimicrobials and other tools—ensuring these innovations are designed to reach underserved populations and those in low-resource settings—as well as to support the creation of a new global AMR laboratory network to strengthen diagnostic capacity. In advance of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR this September, it is also imperative that United Nations agencies hold an open, inclusive consultative process to define global AMR priorities.Pass the proposed resolution on maternal and child health, setting into action its call for increased R&D to address the often-neglected health needs of women and children. Member states should support the ongoing work of the World Health Organization (WHO)-led Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations Network, which coordinates stakeholders to address treatment gaps for children and seeks to align their national HIV/AIDS R&D investments with priority needs identified in WHO’s Paediatric Antiretroviral Drug Optimization list. To address treatment and prevention gaps for pregnant and lactating individuals, countries must also prioritize the inclusion of pregnant and lactating people in research and clinical trials.Substantially increase investments in R&D to meet the goals set forth in the WHO strategies on tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases. To achieve the Global Strategy for Tuberculosis Research and Innovation, member states should increase domestic investments in tuberculosis R&D in line with fair share targets and supercharge research efforts to develop novel vaccines, point-of-care diagnostics, and improved therapies—ensuring tools are fit for purpose for underserved populations. To support the neglected tropical diseases roadmap, WHO and member states should position impacted countries to lead in R&D priority-setting, promote South-South collaboration models, and consider the growing impact of climate change on disease burdens. Additionally, to accelerate access to new health products, countries must also support WHO’s divisions on Science and Access to Medicines and Health Products in advancing approaches to better align WHO’s prequalification procedure and national and regional regulatory approval processes.Advance a pandemic agreement and proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations over the finish line. Too many lives have been lost and too much is at risk to let these critical processes fail. On the accord, member states must soften entrenched positions and work with earnestness to forge a consensus path forward that spurs inclusive R&D while ensuring all countries benefit from the fruits of science and innovation. Any agreement should include clear enforcement and accountability provisions and pathways to finance and strengthen research capacity in low- and middle-income countries.It is GHTC’s hope that countries will meet the moment on this historic opportunity to supercharge R&D efforts to combat future pandemics and other ongoing global health challenges.

GHTC welcomes the recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that it will apply parallel, rather than sequential, processes in developing guidelines recommending the use of novel health products and certifying their safety and efficacy via prequalification (PQ) and/or Emergency Use Listing (EUL). Many of our members and partners have highlighted how the prior procedure, which required guidelines to be in place as a prerequisite to EUL or PQ, was a major bottleneck for innovative products—adding significantly to approval timelines and delaying access to critical new health technologies in low- and middle-income countries.We believe that this new parallel process, which was first trialed during the pandemic for COVID-19 products, could significantly improve and accelerate access to vital innovative health technologies in countries that rely on WHO recommendations for the use of these products. We urge WHO to provide additional details on the implementation of this new process and encourage the PQ program to provide a platform for continued feedback and input from key stakeholders, including product developers, national regulators, procurers, and civil society.We believe that WHO’s PQ program continues to be an essential link in the regulatory ecosystem, and we hope this is just one of several steps WHO will take to reduce bottlenecks and improve the program’s efficiency and impact.  

Analysis reveals that over a 16-year period, $46 billion in U.S. public funding generated dozens of new tools for fighting HIV, TB and other global threats; boosted economic performance at home and abroad; and is likely to spur $102 billion in industry investments Over the last 16 years, U.S. government funding for research and development (R&D) targeting global health challenges supported dozens of breakthrough innovations while generating billions of dollars in economic benefits, both global and domestic, and spurring a surge of industry investments, according to a new analysis from the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) and Policy Cures Research (PCR). “Public funding for global health R&D is small, relative to the incredible returns it provides for fighting neglected and emerging diseases like malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, Ebola and COVID-19 — and for stocking the pipeline with many promising new technologies,” said Dr. Kristie Mikus, GHTC’s executive director. “The innovations emerging from this work are important for advancing health and opportunity globally and for addressing America’s increasing vulnerability to infectious diseases.” Dr. Nick Chapman, CEO of PCR, said, “Our analysis shows that the $46 billion invested by the U.S. government between 2007 and 2022 has not only delivered a steady stream of new drugs, vaccines and prevention tools, but has also supported basic research that is expected to attract an additional $102 billion investment from industry.” The report, Doing Well by Doing Good, looks at the return on investment from federal funding for global health R&D that flows through agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding helps to support work targeting historically neglected diseases such as malaria, HIV and tuberculosis (TB); more recently emerging threats that include COVID-19, Ebola, chikungunya and mpox; and sexual and reproductive health issues. The report notes that new tools are urgently needed because these challenges cause a massive loss of life around the world, impede economic progress in low- and middle-income countries, and pose a growing threat to Americans — especially with climate change facilitating the spread of disease.  For example, in the fight against neglected and emerging infectious diseases (other than COVID-19), the report found the funding contributed to the development of 67 new health technologies that have been approved since 1999. This includes 12 new products for fighting Ebola, which continues to spark new outbreaks; 12 for TB, a resurgent disease fueled by an alarming spread of drug-resistant strains; and 11 for malaria, which is once again on the rise globally and recently caused a surprising spate of locally acquired cases in the U.S.The report found the investments also are supporting a product development pipeline for neglected and emerging diseases that now includes 261 promising innovations in late-stage development. Many carry the potential to deliver major benefits in reducing the human and economic toll of these threats.  New global health tools now available or close to fruition that benefited from recent U.S. government investments include: A new drug, pretomanid, whose addition to a treatment regimen for TB has dramatically improved outcomes and reduced costs for treating patients infected with drug-resistant strains of the disease. Switching all patients with drug-resistant TB to pretomanid-based regimens could generate global health care cost savings of $740 million annually.  Two new long-acting HIV prevention options have the potential to transform global HIV prevention efforts by offering an alternative to daily pills for at-risk groups. Long-acting cabotegravir, delivered via a single bi-monthly injection, could avert 45% of new infections in the U.S. and up to 28% of potential future HIV infections in low- and middle-income countries. The dapivirine vaginal ring, a monthly product offering discreet protection, is another breakthrough option for use by women at high risk of infection. The U.S. government’s multi-agency Operation Warp Speed supported development of four COVID-19 vaccines that have since been deployed around the world. These vaccines contributed to saving 14.4 million lives in the first year of the pandemic alone. Also, between December 2020 and March 2022, they played a prominent role in the estimated $895 billion in direct health care costs savings linked to vaccination.Powerful new monoclonal antibodies or mAbs have emerged for fighting Ebola and malaria. Two approved mAbs for treating Ebola were found to significantly decrease mortality, to 11% for one of the drugs and 6% for the other, compared to 54% in untreated patients. Meanwhile, three promising mAbs for preventing malaria are in clinical development. There is already evidence for one of these mAbs indicating a potential to reduce infections by 54%–75% in communities where malaria emerges as a seasonal threat. The report also notes that U.S. investments in global health R&D are delivering considerable economic benefits globally and domestically.  From 2007 to 2022, U.S. funding supported R&D capacity and product manufacturing capabilities in 43 low- and middle-income countries along with health innovations that can reduce the financial burden of neglected and emerging infectious diseases. For example, in countries where malaria is common, new drugs and vaccines can dramatically reduce the costs of managing the disease, which can consume up to 8% of a family’s budget and reduce national GDP by 1.3%. In the United States, the report estimates that from 2007 to 2022, the $46 billion in public spending on global health R&D created 600,000 new jobs, generated $104 billion in economic activity and supported basic research endeavors that are on track to catalyze $102 billion in additional industry investments. And it’s the gift that keeps on giving. By supporting basic research that will continue to inspire health innovations for years to come, the report finds that it’s likely the $46 billion in public funding ultimately will generate $255 billion for the American economy — a six-fold return on investment. (A companion analysis from GHTC available here explores the funding impact on a state-by-state level, which includes stimulating tens of thousands of jobs in top research states like Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington state, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia.)  The report points out that Americans also benefit because funding for global health R&D is delivering tools for threats that are increasingly viewed as potential domestic risks. For example, the report notes that climate change is facilitating the spread of insect-borne pathogens into the continental U.S., including Chagas disease, dengue, Zika, chikungunya and malaria.“The irony is that despite producing blockbuster returns, public funding for global health R&D is not keeping pace with growing needs and rising risks,” said Dr. Mikus. “R&D funding for emerging threats largely has been reactive — mainly focused on emergencies like Ebola, Zika and COVID-19 — and R&D budgets for neglected diseases actually dropped 11% in 2022. We encourage policymakers to look at global health R&D as one of the best investments a government can make, right up there with roads, schools and national defense.”  ### About the Global Health Technologies Coalition 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. About Policy Cures Research Policy Cures Research is an independent, not-for-profit, research and policy organisation providing strategic analysis and decision-making tools for those involved in the creation of new health technologies for neglected diseases, emerging infectious diseases and sexual & reproductive health issues. Its focus is on providing governments, funders, researchers and civil society organisations with the insights they need to make optimal R&D policy and funding decisions for diseases affecting the world’s most vulnerable populations. For more information, please contact: Katy Lenard at klenard@burness.com or +1 301-280-5719