RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ON NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASESIN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION - A MULTINATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL INVESTIGATION BETWEEN 1990 AND 2026...
Author(s)
Yinuo Sun, PhD student.
Peking University, Beijing, China.
Peking University, Beijing, China.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the research and development profile on Neglected Tropical Disease in the Asia-Pacific region.
METHODS: Diseases were selected according to the WHO NTD list. Product-level information was obtained from Pharmaprojects and categorized by disease, country, product type, and development stage. Products were classified as drugs or vaccines and grouped into five development stages: preclinical, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and launched.
RESULTS: Among the 242 aggregated records, vaccines accounted for 127 records, slightly exceeding drugs, which accounted for 115 records.Rabies represented the largest share, with 113 records, followed by dengue with 47 records. The top five diseases—rabies, dengue, leishmaniasis, chikungunya, and Chagas disease—accounted for 89.3% of the total. Nine WHO-listed NTD categories had no identified drug or vaccine records in the dataset. Geographically, R&D activity was concentrated in China, India, and Japan, which together contributed 211 records, or 87.2% of the total. China had the largest number of records, largely driven by rabies vaccines. India showed a relatively balanced profile between drugs and vaccines, while Japan demonstrated a more drug-oriented pipeline, particularly in Chagas disease, dengue, and leishmaniasis. In terms of development stage, most records were in the preclinical stage, accounting for 141 records, or 58.3% of the total. Clinical-stage and launched products represented a smaller proportion overall. However, vaccines showed a relatively more mature development profile than drugs, with a higher proportion of records in Phase 3 and launched stages.
CONCLUSIONS: Rabies and dengue dominate the current pipeline, while many WHO-listed NTDs remain underrepresented or absent from the identified product landscape. The overall pipeline remains heavily weighted toward preclinical development. These findings highlight substantial innovation gaps and suggest the need for broader and more balanced investment on NTDs in the Asia-Pacific region.
METHODS: Diseases were selected according to the WHO NTD list. Product-level information was obtained from Pharmaprojects and categorized by disease, country, product type, and development stage. Products were classified as drugs or vaccines and grouped into five development stages: preclinical, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and launched.
RESULTS: Among the 242 aggregated records, vaccines accounted for 127 records, slightly exceeding drugs, which accounted for 115 records.Rabies represented the largest share, with 113 records, followed by dengue with 47 records. The top five diseases—rabies, dengue, leishmaniasis, chikungunya, and Chagas disease—accounted for 89.3% of the total. Nine WHO-listed NTD categories had no identified drug or vaccine records in the dataset. Geographically, R&D activity was concentrated in China, India, and Japan, which together contributed 211 records, or 87.2% of the total. China had the largest number of records, largely driven by rabies vaccines. India showed a relatively balanced profile between drugs and vaccines, while Japan demonstrated a more drug-oriented pipeline, particularly in Chagas disease, dengue, and leishmaniasis. In terms of development stage, most records were in the preclinical stage, accounting for 141 records, or 58.3% of the total. Clinical-stage and launched products represented a smaller proportion overall. However, vaccines showed a relatively more mature development profile than drugs, with a higher proportion of records in Phase 3 and launched stages.
CONCLUSIONS: Rabies and dengue dominate the current pipeline, while many WHO-listed NTDs remain underrepresented or absent from the identified product landscape. The overall pipeline remains heavily weighted toward preclinical development. These findings highlight substantial innovation gaps and suggest the need for broader and more balanced investment on NTDs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Value in Health, Volume 55, Issue S1
Code
HPR21
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Coverage with Evidence Development & Adaptive Pathways, Health Disparities & Equity
Disease
SDC: Infectious Disease (non-vaccine), STA: Vaccines