Funding for HIV treatment research exceeded $ 2.4 billion in 2009, new data show

Data collected for the first time on global investments in HIV treatment-related R&D showed that at least $ 2.46 billion was available in 2009. The Treatment Action Group, AVAC, and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) issued the report which was released yesterday at the International AIDS Society's 6th Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment in Rome, Italy.

Titled An Exploratory Analysis of HIV Treatment Research and Development Investments in 2009, the report found that 48 funders worldwide (of 144 surveyed) reported investing $2.46 billion across six HIV-related research categories - basic science, drug discovery and development, operational and implementation science, antiretroviral prevention, applied/infrastructure and HIV diagnostics.

“Recent scientific breakthroughs have shown that antiretroviral therapy not only saves lives, it can also prevents new infections. This is a game changer for the AIDS response and will increase demand for treatment,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Program, UNAIDS, but warning that “new investments are urgently needed to produce better, cheaper medicines to ensure the nine million people still in need of treatment for their own health gain access and that the new demand for treatment for prevention is met.”