HIV treatment funds reach $2.46-B

MANILA, Philippines — Funding for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment-related research and development reached an estimated $2.46 billion in 2009, according to a United Nations (UN) report which contained data collected for the first time on global investments in HIV treatment research.

The report, An Exploratory Analysis of HIV Treatment Research and Development Investments in 2009, found that of the 144 surveyed, 48 funders worldwide reported investing $2.46 billion across six HIV-related research categories—basic science, drug discovery and development, operational and implementation science, antiretroviral prevention, applied/infrastructure and HIV diagnostics.

Public-sector funders accounted for almost three-fourths of reported HIV treatment research and development spending, with the United States National Institute of Health as the leading public-sector investor worldwide in HIV treatment research and development, investing $1.6 billion in 2009.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies reported investing $591 million in 2009.

However, the participation from the private sector in the survey was particularly low and the report outlines that this figure is likely to be substantially higher, possibly reaching over $1 billion.

The report was issued early this week by the Treatment Action Group, AVAC, and the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at the International AIDS Society’s 6th Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment in Rome, Italy.

Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS, described the data provided by the report as “a game changer for the AIDS response and will increase demand for treatment.”

“Recent scientific breakthroughs have shown that antiretroviral therapy not only saves lives, it can also prevent new infections,” De Lay said in a statement.

However, the UNAIDS official said new investments are still urgently needed to produce better, cheaper medicines to ensure the 9 million people still in need of treatment for their own health gain access and that the new demand for treatment for prevention is met.

An estimated 6.6 million people currently have access to antiretroviral treatment and a further 9 million are still in need. In a political declaration adopted at the recent United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York, UN member states committed to expanding access to treatment for 15 million people by 2015.

With new evidence showing the benefits of early initiation of HIV treatment in preventing HIV transmission, the report recommends new drug regimens be developed to be simpler, less toxic, resilient, more forgiving of treatment interruption, less prone to promote the emergence of drug resistance and have fewer complications with other drugs commonly used by people with HIV. –ROY C. MABASA, Manila Bulletin