GHIT preps Grand Challenges, invests in antimalarials

The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund launched its Grand Challenges initiative, which will award grants totaling about Y200 million ($1.7 million) annually in early stage development of drugs, diagnostics and vaccines addressing infectious diseases prevalent in developing countries. Individual projects are eligible to receive up to Y100 million ($850,000) apiece. The first grants will be announced in August.

Separately, the GHIT Fund will invest Y63.7 million ($541,450) in the collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4568) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (Geneva, Switzerland) to develop antimalarial candidates. ...