title: Progress Report on Neglected Tropical Disease Drug Donation Programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) impose a significant burden on public health, particularly in developing nations. Many can be treated cost-effectively with drugs donated or offered at or below marginal cost. In 2012, the World Health Organization published an NTD roadmap that outlined a strategy for the prevention, control, and eradication of 17 NTDs by 2020. Inspired by this roadmap, executives from 13 pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and other interested parties signed the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases in January 2012. In this paper, we will assess progress in meeting commitments on drug donations laid out in the London Declaration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted Medline and LexisNexis searches of peer-reviewed publications and trade journals, as well as product development partnership and government reports. Subsequently, we designed a survey instrument and surveyed 10 company signatories (companies with drug donation programs) to the London Declaration to determine current donations and pledges.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of 10 companies with donation programs responded to the survey. The respondents reported substantial progress in meeting the goals laid out in the London Declaration. Survey respondents maintained 17 drug donation programs across 10 disease categories. In 2014, companies donated >1 billion treatments, with a dollar value of nearly $1.5 billion. However, not all donated products were distributed to patients in need. In addition, 4 of the 17 programs were slated to end before 2020, three of the 17 programs did not report explicit program objectives, and 7 of 17 did not measure the impact of programs in terms of numbers of patients treated. None of our survey respondents reported on whether the programs were leading to a reduction in disease prevalence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Donations are a necessary but insufficient condition for patient access to neglected disease drugs. Additional resources must be allocated to ensure delivery of donated products to patients. In addition, drug donation programs should provide explicit descriptions of program objectives, measurements of the impacts of their programs, and extension of all donation commitments through 2020. To achieve this, multiple stakeholders with a vested interest in reducing the burden of neglected diseases must collaborate in a multipronged approach toward NTD elimination.
authors.affiliation: Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: Joshua.cohen@tufts.edu.
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Lisseth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Cumberland, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Awatin
authors.affiliation: Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturgeon
mesh_terms: D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058028:Research Report; D014330:Tropical Medicine; D014944:World Health Organization
keywords: London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases; drug donation programs; neglected tropical diseases; patient access