Prizes have stimulated breakthroughs in areas as diverse as mathematics, agriculture, and space flight. But can prizes also spur medical innovation for neglected diseases? Can they appeal sufficiently to the private pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to drive investment in the development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics needed in poor countries? How should prizes be designed to ensure successful product development and access?
The Center for Global Health R&D Policy Assessment’s report “Prizes for Global Health Technologies” addresses these very questions. The report offers a general framework for assessing prizes for global health and a detailed analysis of prize proposals for new diagnostic tests for tuberculosis.
