Center for Global Health R&D Policy Assessment

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Assessment Portfolio

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Health Product Prizes

In recent years, prizes—a type of pull mechanism—are receiving renewed attention as a means to drive research and development (R&D) for neglected diseases. Supporters of health product prizes argue that prizes could shift some of the R&D risk from the funders to product developers, while also potentially bringing in new ideas and new skills to address the challenges in neglected disease R&D. Read More.

Open Source

Open source is a means of sharing data, expertise, and resources to increase collaboration, transparency, and cumulative public knowledge. Considering its success in the software field and in developing Web 2.0 resources, there has been some discussion on the potential of open source to stimulate more innovation in neglected tropical disease research and development. Read more.

Pooled Fuding

The central idea of "pooled funding" is that government and philanthropic organizations (and possibly private companies and individual donors) would put money into a large common pool. Proponents argue that these pooled funds would more efficiently allocate resources to the highest priority or the most promising research and development (R&D) for global health, as well as attract additional donors, thereby creating more money for neglected disease R&D. Read more.

Tax Credits

Tax credits are used throughout the world to encourage investment in research and development (R&D), but are tax credits a good tool to stimulate more R&D for diseases of the poor? Read more.

Joint IP Management

A number of policy researchers have argued that intellectual property (IP) regimes act to widen gaps in drug innovation and access for neglected diseases (NDs). Several groups have proposed IP reforms, including the creation of various forms of joint IP management—so called “patent pools”—to address IP barriers for ND drugs. Read more.

India's Role in Global Health R&D

India has already done much to further access to medicines throughout the developing world by producing low-cost generic drugs and follow-on vaccines. As its economy grows and government and industry invest in innovation, many hope India can now contribute in a new way, by developing badly needed new and adapted vaccines, drugs and diagnostics for diseases of the poor. But what is India’s current capacity for new health technology development and how is this capacity likely to evolve? Read more.

R&D for Noncommunicable Diseases

In September 2011, the United Nations High-Level Meeting focused on the burden of NCDs. Although preventative and treatment measures for NCDs were addressed, there were limited discussions on the role of new product R&D. But is this enough to achieve significant gains in NCD prevention and control? Should new product development for NCDs be a high priority for countries, advocates, and donors, along with access to existing technologies, health systems strengthening, advocacy and awareness, and health policy? Read more.

The Global Health Social Enterprise

Social enterprise, or the idea that a socially driven venture can achieve a meaningful and measurable social impact while earning a profit, is becoming more and more popular in a number of development sectors such as health service delivery and clean energy. What is the role of the growing impact investor movement and recently developed policy tools such as the Benefit Corporation and the Flexible Purpose Corporation. Read more.