Improving health r&d financing for developing countries: a menu of innovative policy options.

New drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for the diseases of the developing world could save millions of lives and prevent enormous suffering and economic loss. Despite substantial new funding from the Gates Foundation and other donors, financing for the development of these new health technologies remains inadequate. New approaches are needed to generate more resources, make funding more stable and flexible, and further engage the expertise of the pharmaceutical industry. Several new financing mechanisms have been launched recently, and others are being proposed. This paper summarizes some of the most promising new ideas and offers a framework for evaluating them.