News Finding: Given that the current annual global spending on product development is about $3 billion, this suggests that an additional $1.5 billion to $2.8 billion -- at least -- is needed annually to close the R&D funding gap.
Paper Finding: The model outputs are highly dependent on the underlying assumptions (the input parameters), which were based on aggregate data.
News Context: The authors note their estimate likely understates the total costs. Given that the current annual global spending on product development is about $3 billion, this suggests that an additional $1.5 billion to $2.8 billion -- at least -- is needed annually to close the R&D funding gap. "The model shows us where the current pipeline is most robust and where it is lacking," said Yamey.
Paper Context: all simple vaccines would have the same overall development costs). The model outputs are highly dependent on the underlying assumptions (the input parameters), which were based on aggregate data. The health impact estimates in the model are entirely reliant on users estimating the future expected impact, which is subject to tremendous uncertainty.