Neglected disease research and development: How much are we really spending?
2009

Global Spending on Neglected Disease Research and Development

Sample size: 5116 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Mary Moran, Javier Guzman, Anne-Laure Ropars, Alina McDonald, Nicole Jameson, Brenda Omune, Sam Ryan, Lindsey Wu

Primary Institution: George Institute for International Health

Hypothesis

How much are we really spending on research and development for neglected diseases?

Conclusion

The survey found that just over $2.5 billion was invested into R&D of new neglected disease products in 2007, with funding heavily concentrated on HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Supporting Evidence

  • Funding for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria accounted for nearly 80% of total R&D investment.
  • Public and philanthropic donors provided 90% of the total funding in 2007.
  • Only 12 organizations provided around 80% of global funding for neglected diseases.

Takeaway

This study looked at how much money is being spent to create new medicines for diseases that mostly affect poor countries, and found that a lot of it goes to just a few diseases.

Methodology

The G-FINDER survey collected raw primary data from funders and product developers about their investments in neglected disease R&D.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to varying levels of responsiveness from different organizations and countries.

Limitations

The survey may underreport private sector funding due to non-participation of major pharmaceutical companies and incomplete data from others.

Participant Demographics

The survey included public, private, and philanthropic funders from high- and middle-income countries.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pmed.1000030

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