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Abstract

The Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases partners, including the US, UK, UAE and other national governments, along with 13 pharmaceutical industry businesses, the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other neglected tropical disease-endemic countries, announced that they are to join together to drive research and innovation for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases. The collaboration will see neglected tropical disease-endemic countries work alongside these organizations with the goal of fueling R&D of treatments for ten neglected tropical diseases in support of WHO's 2020 goals. Isaac Bruce, Commissioning Editor, spoke to four experts in the field from academia, not-for-profit organizations and the pharmaceutical industry, and asked their opinions on the partnerships announced and what the status of neglected tropical disease research will be at the end of this decade.