E-DRUG: New research: promising vaccine candidates and persistent R&D gaps
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Dear E-drug colleagues,
I'm pleased to inform you that the Access to Medicine Foundation has
published a new analysis of investigational vaccines, under development by
the 20 large pharmaceutical companies measured in the 2014 Access to
Medicine Index. You can download the report from our website:
www.accesstomedicineindex.org/node/1088
We are also sharing some of the key figures on Twitter (@AtMIndex
<https://twitter.com/atmindex>\).
FINDINGS: PROMISING VACCINE CANDIDATES AND PERSISTENT R&D GAPS
High-burden diseases are being addressed. There are 70 potential vaccines
in pipelines that address 13 high-burden diseases. The largest proportion
target lower respiratory infections, such as influenza and pneumococcal
disease.
The 1st-ever vaccines for dengue and malaria have almost reached the end
of the development process.
Nevertheless, gaps remain: neither of the vaccine candidates targeting
Chagas disease or leishmaniasis have reached clinical development stages;
only a few candidates for tuberculosis and HIV infection have progressed to this
point.
Major causes of childhood death are being targeted, with companies
developing improved versions of existing vaccines.
Companies are developing combination vaccines that target multiple
diseases, which will help optimise immunisation coverage.
Whether companies consider vaccines' future accessibility is unclear
Out of 70 vaccine projects, there is evidence that 12 projects are
supported by provisions for supporting their accessibility (access
provisions). For the majority of vaccine projects, however, it is not clear
whether companies are taking measures to rapidly ensure vaccines will be
affordable and available in sufficient quantities in low- and middle-income
countries.
WHO WE ARE
The Access to Medicine Foundation is an independent initiative that tracks
and analyses what the world's leading pharmaceutical companies are doing
for the millions of people in low- and middle-income countries who do not
have reliable access to safe, effective and affordable medicines and
vaccines. Its flagship publication is the Access to Medicine Index, which
is published every two years. This Vaccines R&D analysis has been conducted
using data submitted by 20 of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies
for the 2014 Access to Medicine Index. The Access to Medicine Foundation is
currently also working toward the first Access to Vaccines Index, funded by
the Dutch National Postcode Lottery.
We hope you find these findings useful in your work - your reactions and
views are very welcome.
Best,
Jay
Jayasree K Iyer, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Access to Medicine Foundation
Scheepmakersdijk 5A, 2011 AS Haarlem, The Netherlands
"J.K. Iyer" <jiyer@atmindex.org>