Collaborative and partnership opportunities in the area of research and development for paediatric antiretroviral drugs for low income countries

Abstract

This research was motivated by the urgent need for global health institutions like the World Health Organization and UNITAID to adopt an informed, market based approach to engaging with the research and development pipeline for drugs that treat children infected with the HIV virus. As the market size for these products declines over the next decade, the usual incentives for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to invest in the development of new drugs and new formulations of existing drugs is likely to dwindle. Innovated solutions are needed if a business case is to be made that addresses this important public health need. The objectives of the research include firstly, describing the public health need for research and development into paediatric Antiretroviral drugs; secondly describing the various stakeholders and their interests; and finally exploring and indentifying potential collaborative / partnership opportunities that can be employed to address the existing public health need while satisfying the various stakeholder interests at play.