Pandemic Preparedness

We are using our not-for-profit drug development experience and partnerships to contribute to the COVID-19 response and prepare for future pandemics, notably in Africa and Latin America.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have coordinated a large COVID-19 clinical trial in 13 African countries, we have launched a new pan-African clinical research platform whose objective is to lay the groundwork for clinical trials before outbreaks occur, and we are participating in several ambitious drug discovery projects to identify medicine candidates for the treatment of viruses of pandemic potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic threw longstanding global health inequalities into stark relief. Wealthy countries had access to advanced vaccines and therapeutics as soon as they were approved while many low- and middle-income countries were left grasping for basic supplies. As COVID-19 shifts away from being the grave threat to lives and livelihoods it was at the beginning of the crisis, it is more important than ever to prepare for future viral pandemics by strengthening global health R&D systems and ensuring the principles of access, affordability, and equity are embedded in the R&D process itself.