These six case studies illustrate how engaging in global health research and development can be part of a successful business strategy. Click here to review the report.

Benefits of investing in global health research include:

• Accessing non-dilutive financing. Partnering with product development partnerships (PDPs) or other public sector partners on global health programs allows companies to defray the cost of product development without diluting company ownership or the stakes of existing investors. This may also increase the opportunities for a company to earn a reasonable profit on these products.
• Learning to engage in emerging markets. Working in global health has been shown to increase the confidence of government officials in countries such as India and China, and to enable companies to become familiar with patient health seeking behaviors and local clinical practices. This benefits future efforts to bring drugs to market in these countries because it provides a strong starting position and builds local support for the company’s brand.
• Building a global network of partners. Working in global health has been a strong entry point for companies to partner with local partners in countries such as India and China. Working with foreign partners on a common problem has been shown to build trust between groups that otherwise might struggle to work together.
• Keeping employees motivated. Providing employees the opportunity to work on meaningful neglected disease projects has been shown to raise morale and significantly aid recruitment efforts.
• Learning about the applications of proprietary technologies by allowing their use in global health programs has benefits for companies as they apply that knowledge to other, more profitable programs. Companies may also gain further validation of their compounds and expand their compound libraries through global health research and development collaborations.
• Proving the value and credibility of technology platforms. Young companies may earn credibility through demonstrating their ability to generate clinical candidates for global health applications. This has in some cases increased the interest of venture capital investors and potential partners who want to explore other applications for the technology outside of neglected diseases.
• Earning a reputation for social responsibility.