P47.01
Background: Since 2004, the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group has employed a comprehensive methodology to track trends in research and development (R&D) investments and expenditures for biomedical HIV prevention, including HIV vaccines, microbicides, PrEP, treatment as prevention and medical male circumcision.
Methods: R&D data were collected on annual disbursements by public, private and philanthropic funders for product development, clinical trials and trial preparation, community education and policy advocacy efforts to estimate annual investment in HIV prevention R&D. Investment trends were assessed and compared by year, prevention type, research phase, funder category and geographic location.
Results: In 2013, investment in HIV prevention research reflected decreased public sector budgets, revised investment strategies by philanthropic donors and a continued retreat from prioritizing HIV prevention by industry. The Working Group collated and analyzed 2013 data for all areas of HIV prevention R&D. International development agency funding trends were analyzed and disaggregated by research type showing a move towards funding large-scale clinical trials and implementation research, following the research pipeline and trends towards results-based financing.
Conclusions: Shifts taking place in 2013 in the international development landscape in both policy and strategy may have profound effects on HIV prevention research funding. The reorganization of Canada's and Australia's development agencies into their respective departments of foreign affairs and trade and the trend towards country-ownership models for the HIV/AIDS response could have profound effects on these department's priorities. It is increasingly important to ensure continued prioritization of HIV prevention research on the global development agenda by understanding and evaluating research in the context of public, private and philanthropic funding.
