Public-private partnerships and HIV vaccine research

This perspective explores some of the issues surrounding the rise of public-private partnerships, so-called product development partnerships, as the main organizational form for global HIV vaccine research. Product development partnerships, such as the International Aids Vaccine Initiative and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, attempt to draw together the strengths of the public and private sectors to advance vaccine science and develop pathways for the delivery of vaccines to those most in need. These partnerships present new ways of organizing complex HIV vaccine research, but in doing, so raise questions about how research should be prioritized, how the public and private sectors can work together, and how vaccine research must be developed alongside the strengthening of health systems in countries where a vaccine is most needed. © 2009 Future Medicine Ltd.