Breakthroughs Blog: NTDs

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The US Food and Drug Administration has announced it will give priority review to a new treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The announcement came after the drugmaker applied to the European Medicines Agency for approval. Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, writes about the agency’s first-ever global health strategy. Reuters recently examined several scientific breakthroughs in HIV and AIDS in recent years, and how the global financial crisis could impact progress against the disease. An article looks at how the US presidential candidates would handle foreign aid and international development if elected in November. A related piece examines the social, political, and financial issues at play ahead of the presidential election and their implications for domestic and global health programs.

As the XIX International AIDS Conference continues in Washington this week, research for new tools to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS is standing out as a major theme. Below, we provide a summary of various sessions that have touched on research and product development topics. The US Congress and the Global AIDS Epidemic: Amid a group of protestors on Wednesday, former Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) moderated a session with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). When discussing her newly released bill—the Ending the HIV and AIDS Epidemic Act of 2012—Lee said that even in these “difficult” financial times, “we must move forward toward an AIDS-free generation.” Several other panelists stressed that a large part of achieving an AIDS-free generation will involve research for new products to prevent, test, and treat the disease. Speaking about recent scientific advances to create an HIV and AIDS cure, Rubio said that increased investment in innovation is critical to advancing these efforts. Coons echoed these comments, saying, “We need to double-down, we need to invest in basic science, invest in translational science, a vaccine, and new drugs. We need to innovate.” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) at the International AIDS Conference. Photo credit: PATH. Effective Solutions to Combat HIV: Increasing Evidence of the Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases on HIV Transmission and Disease Progression: In a session that examined the link between HIV and AIDS and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), Giuseppe Pantaleo, chief of the Division of Immunology and Allergy at the University of Lausanne, said that 25 percent of people living with HIV worldwide are also co-infected with an NTD. He added that because of the high co-infection rate, there is a great need to focus on research, such as the clinical links between HIV and NTDs. Maria Aparecida Shikanai Yasuda from the University of Sao Paulo reiterated this point, saying that research is needed to develop new NTD drugs that are less toxic and more efficient. Astrid-Christina Koch, with the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, said that the second phase of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership will fund more stages of research. Currently the partnership covers research Phases II and III but will expand to cover Phases I through IV. This expansion could go a long way in addressing product development for NTDs and other global health diseases. Microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and vaccines continue to take center stage at AIDS 2012. At a session to discuss The Role of Vaccines in Ending the Pandemic, panelists stressed that vaccines have proven to be one of the best, cost-effective global health solutions, and that research needs to continue to develop a vaccine for HIV and AIDS. Margaret McCluskey from the US Agency for International Development quoted Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), who has called an HIV and AIDS vaccine the “holy grail.” During a session on Wednesday on Microbicides and PrEP: Back to Basics, Ian McGowan from the University of Pittsburgh emphasized that a range of microbicide and PrEP formulations—from intra-muscular injections to vaginal and rectal products, rings, and oral pills—are needed to provide men and women worldwide with a range of HIV prevention choices that best fit their specific needs. Kim Lufkin is the GHTC’s communications officer.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. GHTC member the American Foundation for AIDS Research has issued a brief analyzing the human impact that widespread budget cuts, or sequestration, would have on US-funded global health programs. The brief concludes that a “proportionate cut in US Global Health Initiative funding through sequestration would have minimal impact on deficit reduction … The human impact of such cuts in US investments, however, would be devastating.” The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis Collins, also discussed the effect of sequestration on biomedical research. He testified before the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, saying that sequestration “could do serious damage to the progress that we now see in medical research [at the NIH].” The European Medicines Agency has issued a recommendation that the Hexaxim childhood vaccine is safe for use outside of the European Union. Developed by Sanofi, the vaccine offers protection against six World Health Organization priority diseases. A recent article in USA Today looks at the potential of a widely used HIV/AIDS drug, Truvada, as a possible tool to prevent HIV transmission. In an effort to make foreign assistance more transparent, the US Agency for International Development has made its foreign assistance obligation and expenditure data available online on the Foreign Assistance Dashboard. An experimental four-in-one HIV and AIDS drug called Quad is found to be safe and effective after going through a three-phase clinical process. The Lancet published the research following a recommendation in May by a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel to approve Quad for previously untreated adults infected with HIV-1. A final decision is expected from the FDA by August.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Results for Development Institute have released new reports that examine incentives for global health research and development. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative have announced an agreement to collaborate on drug-compound screening for the neglected tropical diseases leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness. Todd Park, US chief technology officer, discusses innovation efforts undertaken by the US Government, including the Entrepreneurs in Residence Program at the US Food and Drug Administration. The Institute of Medicine has released a report on how to make clinical trials more efficient and effective.