Global health innovation

One of the major impediments to creating drugs for diseases of the developing world has always been the lack of money to cover the high costs of drug development. The $104 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development aims to address that issue directly. While the alliance’s work on tuberculosis drugs won’t put much money in the pockets of drug companies, its success would provide other benefits to industry.

The funding allows the alliance to pursue innovative scientific, regulatory and business strategies that could be valuable to industry. Even more, it provides an opportunity to recoup the industry’s reputation in developed and developing countries...