July 22, 2010

Dear Advocates,

We're excited to announce the release of Advancing the Science in a Time of Fiscal Constraint: Funding for HIV Prevention Technologies in 2009--the sixth annual report on HIV prevention research funding prepared by the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group, led by AVAC, in partnership with IAVI, IPM and UNAIDS.

Read AVAC's press release on the launch of the new report.

The report tracks the public, philanthropic and commercial investment in biomedical HIV prevention in 2009 including preventive and therapeutic HIV vaccines, microbicides, oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), adult male circumcision, prevention of mother to child transmission, and HSV-2 suppression and prevention.

The report finds stability in funding for HIV prevention research from 2008 to 2009. HIV vaccines continued to receive the majority of funding, with a total of US$868 million, which was equal to 2008 funding levels. Investment in microbicides was US$236 million, a decline of 3 percent from 2008 levels. Funding for PrEP increased by 18 percent over 2008 levels to US$52 million.

The stability in funding is encouraging, given a 10 percent decrease in funding for AIDS vaccine research seen in 2008, but the Working Group identified several areas of concern if funding remains flat, including escalating costs of late-stage clinical research, dependency on a small group of funders and a lack of diversity in funders.

Recent and upcoming results from several major studies are already changing the trajectory of HIV prevention research and highlight the need for increased and sustained funding. This week's CAPRISA 004 results are tremendously exciting, but they are by no means the definitive answer about antiretroviral-based microbicides; appropriately resourced confirmatory and development research is urgently needed.

The document provides critical background for anyone advocating for funding for biomedical prevention research. Visit the Working Group's website (www.hivresourcetracking.org) to download Advancing the Science in a Time of Fiscal Constraint: Funding for HIV Prevention Technologies in 2009 and to view additional Working Group reports.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Best,
AVAC