Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and HIV are major burdens on health in low resource communities around the world. About 95% of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world with 67% in sub-Saharan Africa. Half of these individuals are not being treated.
Advances in genetics over the last decade have made effective gene-based treatments a reality, including new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukemia. However, breakthroughs are largely inaccessible to most of the world by virtue of the complexity and the cost for treatments.
To make these treatments effective and available for SCD and HIV, new investment is needed to focus research on the development of curative therapies that can be delivered safely, effectively, and affordable in low resource settings.
NIH, https://www nih.gov plans to invest at least $100 million over the next four years toward developing affordable gene-based cures for SCD and HIV. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation https://www.gatesfoundation.org will also invest $100 million to find cures for SCD and HIV globally.
The collaboration will align aggressive, high-reward efforts to accelerate progress on shared gene-based strategies to cure SCD and HIV. Both organizations will also continue to invest in other parallel research efforts on cures for SCD and HIV outside of this collaboration.