Press Release

December 13, 2018

GHIT Fund Announces New Investments in Vaccines for Dengue and Leishmaniasis, and Drug Screening for Malaria and Tuberculosis

TOKYO, JAPAN (December 13, 2018)—The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total of 520 million yen (US$4.6 million*) to support four partnerships to develop new lifesaving drugs and vaccines for malaria, tuberculosis, dengue and leishmaniasis. This includes three new projects and one that will receive continued funding. (Appendix 1)

 

"At the GHIT Fund, we are delighted to accelerate open innovation between Japanese and non-Japanese R&D entities across the globe,” BT Slingsby, the CEO of GHIT said. “With the new partnerships developed through this investment, we are further strengthening our work through global collaboration to meet the needs of neglected populations worldwide."

 

Including the investment projects announced today, GHIT has invested approximately 14.1 billion yen (US$124 million*) in 77 global product development partnerships that leverage Japanese science and capabilities in pharmaceutical research and development. Currently, 23 discovery projects, 13 preclinical projects, and eight clinical trials are under way in low- and middle-income countries. (Appendix 2)

 

* USD1 = JPY113.46, the approximate exchange rate on November 30, 2018.