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Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
#InnovationMonth: Drug R&D key to meet SA's health challenges
The pharmaceutical sector is vital to the South African economy and to its science base, and it will continue to be a key component in the enormous health challenges that will dominate its R&D agenda for the foreseeable future.
This was highlighted by pioneering work being undertaken in areas such microbicides to prevent HIV/Aids, as well as drug and vaccine development for malaria and tuberculosis, said minister of science and technology, Naledi Pandor.
Minimise the innovation gap
The department has developed a plan called the Farmer to Pharma grand challenge, which involves taking the necessary initiatives and building the infrastructure to improve the drug-development value chain.
Pandor said: “The objective is to minimise the innovation gap and to create opportunities for the commercialisation of products and services that will reduce the burden of diseases affecting the majority of our people.”
“Importantly, we have the primary purpose of stimulating product-oriented innovation. We have a number of platforms (centres of competence and centres of excellence) aimed at stimulating and coordinating research activity particularly in the areas of HIV/Aids, malaria and TB.”
Part of global community
The minister noted that South Africa’s scientists were part of a global community that seeks opportunities for new treatments to address unmet medical needs. “I think particularly of gene therapy, cell therapies and tissue engineering. Such work will prove useful if we can develop strategic mechanisms aimed at turning fundamental research findings into innovative treatments that are not only available but also accessible to patients who need these medicines.
“Indeed, all of us have a critical role to play in guaranteeing the leadership and cooperation required to ensure that advances in science and medicine will alleviate suffering and meet the critical medical needs of the millions of people on the continent,” said Pandor.
She stated that foreign investment was encouraged and the government worked hand-in-glove with international agencies. “We are also striving to create a positive environment that will encourage innovative companies to invest in South Africa for pioneering research - and to go on to develop and manufacture their innovations in South Africa.”
Health innovation projects
“To strengthen our existing health innovation projects and to learn from the experiences of others, we have forged a number of mutually beneficial international partnerships. One such partnership is the Grand Challenges South Africa partnership, aimed at reducing the burden of pre-term birth and addressing the causes of deaths in women during pregnancy and childbirth.”
“Another is the strategic health innovation partnerships (SHIP), which facilitates collaborative research dedicated to addressing the burden of HIV, Aids, tuberculosis, malaria and non-communicable diseases, and helps to secure international research and financial partnerships to drive R&D efforts.
“In 2014, the SHIP and the programme for appropriate technology in health, or PATH, launched a partnership called the Global Health Innovation Accelerator. This partnership aims to fast-track the most promising technologies to address the health needs of low-resource communities. It will connect the funding, scientific and technical expertise of global partners with local scientists and innovators to accelerate product development,” said Pandor.
“These partnerships reflect a changing world. Our problems are also our neighbours’ problems. HIV-AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are on the rise in regions previously considered to be safe from their disease burden, while non-communicable including lifestyle diseases now have a devastating impact in the developing world,” said the Minister.
The minister was speaking at the inaugural IPASA (Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa) Innovative Medicines Summit.
