From The Intersector Project’s “Research to Practice” series, this article looks closely at scholarly research and highlights key facts, actionable takeaways, and additional resources practitioners can turn to for related guidance.

Neglected diseases are communicable diseases that are prevalent in developing countries and receive little attention from the medical industry, since the research and development of the products that would result in their prevention and treatment often has few financial incentives. In a recent article in Science and Public Policy, researchers investigate one possible solution to this issue — how research and development for neglected diseases can occur through product development partnerships (PDPs). PDPs serve as an innovative example of how cross-sector collaboration can incentivize efforts to solve public challenges that otherwise would remain unsolved.