Vector Borne Diseases: Funding Opportunities, Economic Developments and Political Awareness
by Valerie McDevitt, Assistant Vice President Division of Patents and Licensing US Registered Patent Attorney at University of South Florida
Possible funding opportunities in this area of research (vector-borne diseases):
1. NIH/DOD government funding sources
2. Non-profits such as Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), PATH, Roll Back Malaria, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Foundation for innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Gates 3. For profit companies – this site lists pharma/biotech companies working in the vector borne disease space: http://www.dndi.org/index.php/partners.html#Pharmaceuticals
4. HTC matching
Some of the current economic developments:
1. Global funding for malaria research has increased four-fold in the last 16 years: http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/news/251264-global-funding-for-malaria-research-has-increased-four-fold-in-the-last-16-years/
2. Organizations such as the DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative) are currently advocating to the WHO for R&D financing for vector borne and neglected diseases: This is a great overview of the needs and opportunities: http://dndi.org/images/stories/pdf_outlooks/Outlook2_financing-and-incentives_july2011_low.pdf
Political awareness in this field:
1. Non-profit and US government efforts:
- WHO and their vision to control vector borne disease: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/envmanagement/en/
- Roll Back Malaria (RBM) http://www.rbm.who.int/ProgressImpactSeries/index.html,
- US Global Health Initiative announced by President Obama in May 2009 – Global Health Policy fact sheet with funding figures and snapshot: http://www.kff.org/globalhealth/upload/8160.pdf
- US Efforts to Fight Global Malaria: http://www.one.org/c/us/issuebrief/748/
2. Increased interest from the biotech companies and other businesses
Increased interests in the area of early detection, real prophylactic vaccines, more effective and better tolerated treatments.
GSK has a good looking vaccine in pipeline, but says they will not profit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/8835109/GlaxoSmithKline-malaria-vaccine-trials-successful-but-drug-will-not-be-profitable.html
Companies participating in Vector Borne Disease Research: http://dndi.org/images/stories/pdf_outlooks/Outlook2_financing-and-incentives_july2011_low.pdf
View Point paper discussing the challenges and opportunities for infectious disease (including vector borne disease like Malaria and Chagas disease): http://202.131.117.197/GUJHEALTH/pdf/neglected%20diseases.pdf
Interesting review/opinion article relevant to issues facing R&D in chagas and other vector borne disease:
“The problems of Chagas disease are many, but they are not insurmountable. There are numerous partial solutions already at hand that, if used in a coordinated manner, and with consideration of the unique characteristics of endemic areas (e.g., rural underdevelopment, poverty, lack of adequate housing, and increasingly decentralized health services), could have a significant impact. The entities that will fund and coordinate such an integrated effort remain to be identified, but clearly the involvement of the public sector is essential. Better diagnostics, drugs, and improved approaches to vector control programs will require more and better research, sharper focus, and greater rigor on the part of the research community. In addition, contributions from governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations will be needed to establish the infrastructure for testing drugs and control methods as well as the platforms to develop and implement effective and affordable diagnostic tests. Fortunately, the research community has provided the majority of potential drug, vaccine, and diagnostic candidates and, via the sequencing of the T. cruzi genome and proteomes [42,43], has presented multiple leads for drug targets and diagnostic/vaccine candidates. However, neither for-profit nor nonprofit companies have taken on the challenges of developing these leads further. Effective scientific, philanthropic, and political leadership and forward-thinking coordination of a community effort in this realm, at both local and regional levels, is badly needed if we want to make significant inroads into this devastating disease. Ultimately, the success of such efforts will be heavily dependent on the long-term stability and prospects for economical, societal, and political development in the Americas.” From: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0040332
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