March 6, 2013

Advances in HIV treatment research in 2010 and 2011 saw improvement in treatment regimens and strategies, and reinvigorated optimism for finding a cure. In 2012, TAG and AVAC, with financial support from UNAIDS, put forth a collaborative effort to analyze investment trends in HIV treatment research and development (R&D) in 2010 and 2011.

The latest report, Funding Scientific Innovation: Global Investments in HIV Treatment Research and Development in 2010 and 2011, found US$2.6 billion was invested in HIV treatment R&D in 2011. Data from 41 public, private, and philanthropic donors reveal a 12% increase in funding from the baseline year of 2009, with the majority of funding targeted at research for new medications.

Using electronic surveys to collect data, TAG asked key donors to report on their investments in HIV treatment R&D and classify them according to six research areas: basic science; applied/ infrastructure/unspecified; drug discovery and development; diagnostics; therapeutic vaccines; treatment as prevention (TasP); and operational and implementation science.

In addition to reporting key findings across the six research areas and donor sectors, the report evaluates the extent to which funding shortages affect the HIV treatment R&D pipeline, where funding gaps lie, and where donors must increase their investments to accelerate HIV research.

To learn more about the major findings in this report and discuss the implications of declining investments in HIV treatment R&D with funders and activists around the globe, please join us for a free interactive webinar on March 15 at 9:00 a.m. (EST). To RSVP for this event, please e-mail hivrdtracking@treatmentactiongroup.org by March 13, 2013.

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The HIV Treatment R&D Resource Tracking Project seeks to complement efforts undertaken by AVAC and the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group, which tracks funding for HIV prevention R&D.