Product Development Partnerships

Developing Countries: Health Services

Questions

Asked by Lord Avebury

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to promote integrated healthcare structures and policy in the United Nations post-2015 development agenda.[HL2444]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD):The UK government supports the inclusion of integrated approaches to healthcare in a post 2015 agenda, as shown through the emphasis on Universal Health Coverage in the Report of the High-Level Panel, chaired by the Prime Minister, and its inclusion as a target in the proposal of the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals.

Asked by Lord Avebury

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to promote innovative medical technologies and product development partnerships as part of the post-2015 development agenda.[HL2445]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the potential role of product development partnerships in the post-2015 development agenda. [HL2447]

Baroness Northover: The UK Government recognises the important role of new health technologies and product development partnerships (PDPs) in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and in the post-2015

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agenda. The UK is the second largest government supporter of this research and will continue to promote it along with international partners.

Asked by Lord Avebury

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with international counterparts on including product development partnerships in the post-2015 development agenda.[HL2446]

Baroness Northover: Officials from my Department regularly discuss the importance of product development partnerships (PDPs) and the continued important role for technology development in the post-2015 development agenda. The UK currently chairs the international Product Development Funders’ Group, including both bilateral and multilateral agencies as well as private foundations. Officials also participate in the annual Product Development Forum arranged by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Asked by Lord Avebury

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the outcomes arising from the Department for International Developments-sponsored product development partnerships.[HL2448]

Baroness Northover: Public private product development partnerships (PDPs) have been shown to expedite the development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests, achieving results faster than either the public or private sectors alone.

Prior to the creation of PDPs, only 20 drugs were developed for neglected diseases between 1975 and 2000. Since 2000, UK Government funded PDPs have developed 19 new products including drugs for malaria, TB, neglected tropical diseases (such as sleeping sickness and visceral leishmaniasis), one vaccine for diarrhoea (rotavirus) and six new diagnostic tests (5 for TB and the first ever rapid diagnostic test for sleeping sickness).