Research targeting communicable diseases to receive drive
New details have now been released on the Commission's Communication on targeting communicable diseases and of the Round Table meeting, where the Communication was welcomed and unanimously endorsed. The Communication outlines important changes for European research strategy, with proposed moves to encourage larger scale and more effective public investment, the development of an incentive package for private investment and participation in a global partnership. The Commission's Communication recognises the importance of improving the efficiency of existing interventions, services and commodities targeting the poorest populations, highlights the importance of improving access to key pharmaceuticals, but recognises that 'more attractive markets alone will not provide adequate incentives for new investment.' In order for this to happen, new measures targeted at the various stages of the research and development process are crucial. The Commission proposes to address the barriers to further investment in research, which have hindered progress in the past. Three strategies are to be adopted in order to tackle the lack of co-ordination and institutional capacity: - Larger scale and more effective public investment The EC proposes to expand upon the present components of the R&D process and to further increase coherence between Community and other R&D activities. The strategy includes an ambition to change the EU's current R&D line and to accept a greater degree of investment risk. The move should be assisted by a change from serial to parallel testing of candidate products. The Communication notes that reinforced co-ordination between Member States on common strategic R&D is the key to progress. Under the framework of the proposed European Research Area (ERA), the Commission proposes to increase support for capacity building of research institutions and personnel in developing countries. Researchers from developing countries are to be encouraged to become more involved in early priority setting within the EC R&D process. These plans are to build upon the contribution that the Community has already made to research in this area through the Biomed specific programme of the Fourth Framework programme and the key actions 'control of infectious diseases' and 'quality of life' within the INCO programme of the Fourth and Fifth Framework programmes. - Development of an incentive package for private investment: The Commission proposes to further develop innovative public-private partnerships. Incentives will be offered either in the form of low cost loans for small biotechnology firms carrying out the majority of early research and development of vaccines and drugs and purchase funds. Producers of newly licensed vaccines could be granted rights for limited patent extension on unexpired drug or biological patents for which the owner is the holder of the exclusive license. Early sharing of intellectual property rights related to extensive research partnerships are also to be encouraged. - Participation in a global partnership: The EC together with WHO, the World Bank and other main partners in health and development will come together to influence a more responsive health research agenda for the next decade. The Communication asserts the need to direct research and development to diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries. It is proposed that the 10 per cent of global health research efforts targeting those diseases, which comprise 90 per cent of the global disease burden, is increased to 20 per cent. The policy framework set out in the Communication was the Community's first response to the recommendations of the G8 summit held in Okinawa in July 2000. The framework was discussed and endorsed by a high level Round Table on 28 September 2000.al environment to