New report shows major increase in pharmaceutical R&D for neglected diseases

R&D, health system capacity-strengthening efforts, and medicine donations comprise the pharmaceutical industry's holistic approach to addressing neglected diseases, according to a new report released yesterday by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA). The 2012 status report covers pharmaceutical R&D to address neglected diseases that disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries.

Representing a 40% increase over 2011, the 132 R&D projects in the 2012 update focus on the following diseases prioritized by the World Health Organization's Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR): tuberculosis, malaria, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, dengue, onchocerciasis (River blindness), American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), schistosomiasis, leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

The only major sector increasing R&D funding for neglected diseases in 2011, the research-based pharmaceutical industry has a long-standing and continuing commitment to fighting these conditions. Industry’s holistic approach includes R&D projects, capacity-strengthening efforts, and medicine donations, says the IFPMA.