Public-Private Partnerships Lead the Way for Critical Biomedical Initiatives

Solving significant problems in biomedicine and global health demands a confluence of complex skills, expertise, perspectives, management, and funding. Often, “big science” biomedical projects entail considerable risk, but are hugely rewarding when they succeed in meeting their objectives.

Under the right conditions, public-private partnerships are an attractive alternative to conventional funding and management for broad-ranging, interdisciplinary initiatives in basic biological sciences and human health. In global health, public-private partnerships such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Medicines for Malaria Venture, and others have recently been formed to bring together diverse partners to improve health in the developing world. Governments in the developed world have recognized the benefits of leveraging academic and industry’s research and development resources with the application of public funds to address pressing public interests.

Because biomedical public-private partnerships cross and blur many of the traditional boundaries of technical disciplines, managing them demands experience and commitment to the ultimate goal: Improving human health. As with all public-private partnerships, those in biomedicine only succeed when all involved parties embrace the concept of “partnership” – a contractual arrangement where participants and stakeholders share the risks, and collectively benefit to an extent that is greater than the sum of their contributions.


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