Incentives for Vaccine R&D Could Save Millions of Lives

A new plan to provide market incentives for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to create vaccines against diseases that kill millions of people in developing countries every year could dramatically advance global health, according to a wide range of experts.

The plan, prepared by a Center for Global Development (CGD) working group, will be released April 7, World Health Day, in Washington, D.C. Speakers will include senior officials from the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, experts on global health research and development, vaccine finance and contract law.

The CGD working group's report, Making Markets for Vaccines: Ideas to Action, draws on the knowledge of a diverse set of experts from industry, governments and international institutions, law and economics. Under the plan, rich countries and other donors would pledge to buy new vaccines for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, strengthening the incentive for companies to invest in R&D. The following summarizes the details of this news event:

WHO:
* Richard Klausner, MD, executive director of global health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
* Orin S. Levine, PhD, executive director of the global alliance for vaccines & immunization's (GAVI) pneumococcal vaccine project, PneumoADIP
* Melinda Moore, director, the Malaria Vaccine Initiative
* James Greenwood, president, the Biotech Industry Organization (BIO)
* Mark Feinberg, MD, vice president, Merck & Company

WHAT: A symposium unveiling the findings of one of the most significant reports addressing how to speed the delivery of new vaccines to third world nations and the implications for improved global health.

WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 2005, 8:30 am -- 11:00 am EDT

WHERE: Covington & Burling (11th floor), 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, D.C.

Source: Center for Global Development