WHO Releases new Tuberculosis Report

The World Health Organization released its’ thirteenth report on Tuberculosis control this week, which provides information and statistics related to the numbers of cases and numbers of deaths due to TB in 196 countries.   The report stresses the link between HIV and TB, suggesting that roughly 25% of people who died from TB in 2007 were [...]

Canadian researchers begin first phase of human trials in new TB vaccine; 11 other TB vaccines in various stages of research at facilities around the world

Tuberculosis, the world’s second deadliest infectious disease could finally meet its match in a new vaccine developed by researchers at McMaster University.  The new vaccine is at least five years away from broad use, if it can be shown to be safe, effective and practical to make and distribute — and if another team doesn’t [...]

The FDA and innovation

A well-run FDA is crucial to ensuring that Americans continue to get access to the best new therapies in a timely fashion.  Lengthy and costly approval periods–which average 10 years and $1 billion per product under consideration–raise important questions about whether the FDA is doing its part to make sure innovative new therapies can reach [...]

WHO public consultation on innovative R&D financing

The World Health Organization has recently opened a public online consultation focused on identifying new and innovative sources of funding to stimulate medical R&D.
The web-based public hearing is open to individuals, civil society groups, government institutions, academic and research institutions, the private sector and other interested parties between 7 March to 15 April.  Information on the consultation process, [...]

Canadian sentenced for creating counterfeit drugs

Recently, there has been significant media coverage of the ongoing efforts of IMPACT, the WHO, many national  governments and other organizations to eliminate the distribution of counterfeit medicines.  For the most part, stories of counterfeit medicines have focused on African countries.  While counterfeit medicines are certainly more prevalent in areas of Africa than in many [...]

Multi-Sector Partnerships in Global Public Health

Following a full day of meetings at the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council’s Special Event on Philanthropy and the Global Health Agenda (see the previous posting), ECOSOC’s President H.E. Sylvie Lucas hosted a reception (co-sponsored by CARE and the Global Health Progress initiative).  Leaders from various nations, the global health community, biopharmaceutical companies and international non-governmental [...]