Global funding for HIV treatment research exceeds $2.4b – UN
Data collected for the first time shows that global investments into HIV treatment-related research and development was at least $2.46 billion, says a new United Nations (UN) report.
These investments came from governments, pharmaceutical companies and non-profit organisations that have continued commitments into innovation in research and development for HIV treatment.
The report titled, “An Exploratory Analysis of HIV Treatment Research and Development Investments in 2009,” released mid-July 2011 at the International AIDS Society’s 6th Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment in Rome, Italy, was prepared by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Treatment Action Group, AVAC.
“The report found that 48 funders worldwide (of 144 surveyed) reported investing $2.46 billion across six HIV-related research categories—basic science, drug discovery and development, operational and implementation science, antiretroviral prevention, applied/infrastructure and HIV diagnostics,” the UNAIDS said in a statement.
The agency indicated that public-sector funders accounted for almost three-fourths of reported HIV treatment research and development spending, with the U.S. National Institute of Health being the leading public-sector investor worldwide, invested $1.6 billion in 2009.
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies reported investing $591 million in 2009, however, participation from the private sector in the survey was particularly low and the report outlines that this figure is likely to be substantially higher, possibly reaching over $1 billion.
According to the UNAIDS, an estimated 6.6 million people currently have access to antiretroviral treatment and a further nine million are still in need.
The report, therefore, recommends that new drug treatments should be developed to be “simpler, less toxic, resilient, more forgiving of treatment interruption, less prone to promote the emergence of drug resistance and have fewer complications with other drugs commonly used by people with HIV.”
Commenting on the report, Mr. Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS said “New investments are urgently needed to produce better, cheaper medicines to ensure the 9 million people still in need of treatment for their own health gain access and that the new demand for treatment for prevention is met.”
By Ekow Quandzie