ABSTRACT
Collaboration is central for initiatives and efforts in the race to fight COVID-19, with particular focus on fostering rapid development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. We investigated the types of partnerships that have emerged during the pandemic to develop these products. Using the World Health Organization's list of COVID-19 vaccine developments, we found nearly one third of all vaccine candidates were developed by partnerships, which tended to use next-gen vaccine platforms more than solo efforts. These partnerships vary substantially between materials-transfer partnerships and knowledge-sharing partnerships. The difference is important: The type of sharing between partners not only shapes the collaboration, but also bears implications for knowledge and technology development in the field and more broadly. Policies promoting fair and effective collaboration and knowledge-sharing are key for public health to avoid stumbling blocks for vaccine development, deployment, and equitable access, both for COVID-19 and expected future pandemics.
Subject(s)
Biomedical Research , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Vaccines , Humans , Policy , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
[Formula presented] Despite the challenging nature of the pandemic that made all events virtual, the 15th Annual W. Montague Cobb Symposium and Scientific Lectureship held as part of the 125th National Medical Association (NMA) Convention continued as a treasured event. Titled “The Role of HBCU Medical Schools in Driving Research Excellence in the Wake of COVID-19,” with the Cobb Lecturer as noted pediatrician Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith who defined youth violence as a health problem, this year’s Symposium featured the Consortium of all four medical institutions of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) including Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine. Cobb Lecturer Prothrow-Stith touched on the context of the pandemic and traumatic murder of George Floyd for the enhanced attention to longstanding issues, and framed their Consortium efforts as “powerful together.” Beyond navigating community testing and intervention as well as vaccine strategies toward tackling Coronavirus-related disparities, their implemented measures around the undergirding social determinants of health are highly innovative. With Morehouse’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) currently funded at $40 million under a three-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) likely to prove transformational, renowned immunologist and physician Dr. James Hildreth urged keeping our institutions at the forefront of vaccine development and public health ambassadorship. Even with limited funding for efforts undertaken at a national level, and intervening where majority institutions often struggle, this Consortium holding a long legacy of trusted commitment to the underserved continues undeterred. We hope that their collaborative value is felt and that expanded, sustained funding to HBCU institutions from HHS and its Agencies and Offices for health-related research and development not only transcends this pandemic but is accelerated.