GHIT Fund WEBINAR SERIES GHIT Fund WEBINAR SERIES

Advancing innovations through global partnerships for neglected diseases during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has drawn unprecedented global attention to the value of innovation for life-threatening infectious diseases. The extraordinary speed of pandemic tool development over the past year demonstrates the innovation and scale that is possible when stakeholders are incentivized to collaborate meaningfully despite unprecedented challenges in their path. We at GHIT are committed to leveraging the power of this potential for R&D for neglected diseases.

Over the last two decades, product development partnerships (PDPs), international, non-for-profit organizations that develop health technologies—drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, vector controls, and devices—for neglected diseases, have played a pivotal role in the global health R&D ecosystem. PDPs have successfully registered and launched more than 85 new innovative life-saving products that have been in LMICs. Recognizing the unique capabilities and strengths of these entities, GHIT has catalyzed and invested in partnerships between PDPs and Japanese entities since 2013 dedicated to creating innovative products for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by harnessing untapped chemical/natural compounds, technologies and innovations in Japan. The results include multiple promising candidates in GHIT’s portfolio, several of which will emerge from the pipeline in the next couple of years.

To maintain momentum and foster dialogue about the R&D community’s role, challenges, and opportunities in the fight against neglected diseases during/post COVID-19 pandemic era, GHIT will convene a set of webinar series in FY2021. Webinars will feature leaders from PDPs and their Japanese partners and address the critical role of PDPs today and tomorrow, innovative R&D partnerships for neglected diseases, as well as responses to future global health threats by utilizing their expertise, portfolios, and partner networks.

Past Webinars

2022.3.24

Session 5: EVI/MVI - Developing Effective and Affordable Vaccines through Partnerships

2022.2.2

Session 4: FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics - Innovative Diagnosis and Partnerships For All

    Speaker
  • Dr. Sergio Carmona, Chief Medical Officer, FIND & Mr. Willo Brock, Director of External Affairs, FIND
     (Presentation material)
  • Prof. Shinjiro Hamano, Professor and a vice-dean of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Director of the Japanese Society of Parasitology and the Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine
     (Presentation material)
  • Prof. Takafumi Tsuboi, Distinguished Professor of Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University
     (Presentation material)
2021.11.19

Session 3: TB Alliance: Putting partnerships to work for better, faster TB cures

    Speaker
  • Dr. Takushi Kaneko, Senior Research Fellow, TB Alliance
     (Presentation material)
  • Dr. Isshin Tanaka, Scientist, Biological Research Department, Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd.
     (Presentation material)
  • Prof. Scott Franzblau, Director of the Institute for Tuberculosis Research and the Albert Schatz Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago
     (Presentation material)
2021.10.20

Session 2: Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi): Innovative partnerships for the most neglected

2021.9.3

Session 1: Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) - Developing Life-Saving Antimalarials Through Global Partnerships

    Speaker
  • Dr. James Duffy, Director of Drug Discovery, Medicines for Malaria Venture
     (Presentation material)
  • Dr. Tomo Nozaki, Professor of Department of Biomedical Chemistry and Vice Dean of Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo
     (Presentation material)
  • Mr. Hiroki Kano, Senior Research Scientist, Discovery Technology Laboratories, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.
     (Presentation material)
  • Dr. Kei Katsuno, Senior Director, Investment Strategy, Business Development, GHIT Fund
     (Presentation material)