Astellas Announces Commitments to GHIT Fund Replenishment

Astellas Announces Commitments to GHIT Fund Replenishment
Tokyo, June 1, 2017 - Astellas Pharma Inc. (President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, ”Astellas”) today announced that it has committed to supporting the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) for the next 5 years (FY2018 to FY2022) together with a cross-sector group of funding partners. A total amount of commitment to the GHIT Fund replenishment is estimated to be over US$ 200 million.
The GHIT Fund launched in 2013 to leverage Japanese expertise and capability for life-saving health innovations, including drugs, vaccines and diagnostics, to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) prevalent in the developing world. A public interest corporation registered in Japan, the GHIT Fund is the first international public-private partnership (PPP) between the Japanese Government: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, private sector, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the United Nations Development Program.
The fund has invested approximately $100 million in 61 global projects in the first five-year phase (fiscal year 2013-2017), advancing various research and development activities from early-stage exploratory research to clinical-stage development in South America and Africa, to contribute to resolving the global health issue directly and efficiently.
Astellas participates in a consortium to explore the development of praziquantel5 for pediatric use, which was established in 2012 as an international PPP, and the consortium received funding from the GHIT Fund. Astellas contributes to advancing the development of a pediatric formulation praziquantel leveraging its own formulation technologies and development know-how.
”GHIT catalyzed a mindset shift for the Japanese pharmaceutical industry vis-à-vis solving global health issues. More specifically, it created a mechanism for Japanese pharmaceutical companies to take leadership roles in solving global health issues by combining their R&D expertise and capabilities in cooperation with those of governments, international organizations and nonprofits.” commented Yoshihiko Hatanaka, President and CEO of Astellas.
Astellas contributes to resolving Access to Health issues through continuous participation in the GHIT Fund.