Australian research institute receives $8.8m grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Australian researchers to lead unique, global study into funding for neglected diseases R&D.
The George Institute for International Health has received a $US8.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct a major project that will review global investment into new products for neglected diseases.
A team of experts from the Sydney-based George Institute will track global funding into new products for neglected diseases of developing countries by surveying global public, private and philanthropic investments. The George Institute team will measure investment into new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and microbicides for tropical diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness, as well as developing-country strains of global diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and HIV/AIDS, which are often overlooked by product developers.
According to project leader, Dr Mary Moran, donors often must make substantial R&D investment decisions based on out-of-date, unreliable information on funding flows, gaps or duplications due to inconsistent accounting and reporting. "For many funders there is a major absence of information as to where their resources can most efficiently be invested, how large these investments should be and how their investments sit in the context of overall funding flows and priorities. Our goal is to address these information deficits by tracking global investment, to show where the R&D funds are currently spent, and to provide this information to funders," Dr Moran said. "By bringing together silos of information in each country, funders will be able to work together globally to make their investments in this area really count."
Over $US1.6 billion is spent each year alone on R&D for the development of new products for malaria, TB and HIV /AIDS. This major study will provide funders with powerful evidence to help them better target their research and development funds.
Over a five year period, The George Institute will survey and analyse global funders, intermediaries and developers, collecting data through an online survey. The survey will examine all aspects of product research and development funding from basic research, through discovery and development, to post-registration activities to support product introduction.
The project maintains The George Institute’s focus on delivering quality public health outcomes. The reports generated by this project will provide policy-makers with a solid and comprehensive evidence base to guide their decision-making. "In the end, we hope this project will make a major contribution to global health by helping funders to target research resources to the areas of greatest need", said Dr Moran. "It’s a privilege to be able to contribute to a new era that is seeing development of the first TB vaccines, malaria drugs and treatments for sleeping sickness for many decades."
The George Institute for International Health is a multinational not-for-profit research organisation with offices in Australia, China, India and the United Kingdom. The Institute works towards improvement and development of global health through undertaking high quality research, and applying this research to health policy and practice. Given its widely acknowledged work on neglected disease product pipelines and funding, the Health Policy Division of the George Institute is uniquely placed to deliver such an important and vital project.
Note for Editors
*Report coverage will include Type II diseases such as AIDS, TB, malaria, pneumonia, meningitis, diarrheal diseases, and the Type III tropical diseases; basic research, product R&D and product-related implementation research; new drugs, diagnostics, vaccines, and insecticides aimed at vector control; public, private and philanthropic funding in High-Income Countries; and, on a progressive basis, public and private funding in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In terms of impact, we are aiming for almost complete closure of the current funding information gap for HIC funders, and development of a firm foundation for closure of the LMIC funding information gap in time.
The George Institute for International Health has launched research, policy and training initiatives in over 40 countries, with the collaboration of more than 400 hospitals and universities. Ground -breaking research has been conducted into chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease as well as significant investigations in the areas of critical care, trauma, injury and neurological conditions. With a focus on developing countries, the Institute has led global clinical trials, including the largest ever conducted into Type 2 Diabetes treatment. Last year a Health Policy Unit was established with a focus on the development and delivery of new medicines and vaccines in neglected diseases such as malaria and TB. This year the Institute also established operations in India and China.
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