The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total of 3.29 billion yen (US$30 million*) to invest in 11 partnerships to develop new lifesaving drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and mycetoma. This includes five new projects and six that will receive continued funding**. (Appendix 1 & 2)

“Although we are in the midst of unprecedented COVID-19 crisis globally, GHIT works closely with our product development partners more than ever to conduct research and development for neglected patients. I believe that innovative technologies and approaches in partnership with Japanese and overseas entities will advance science steadily and contribute to the development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for neglected patients.” said Ms. Catherine Kaseri Ohura, the CEO of GHIT.

Currently, there are 52 ongoing projects, including 26 discovery, 20 preclinical and six clinical trials in the GHIT portfolio. (Appendix 3) 

* USD1 = JPY109.42, the approximate exchange rate on February 29, 2020.

** These awarded projects were selected from a number of proposals to the RFP2020-002 for Target Research Platform, Hit-to-Lead Platform, and Product Development Platform, which was open for applications from July to October 2019. The GHIT board conducted in February 2020 approved these new invesments.