Total Investment Of Approx. USD 8.8 Million In Malaria, Tuberculosis, And NTD R&D Projects With Partners Including Mahidol University, Barcelona Institute For Global Health, And Eisai

TOKYO, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total investment of approximately JPY 1.39 billion (USD 8.8 million1) in six R&D projects for the development of drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).2 

Investment of JPY 648 million (approx. USD 4.1 million1) for development of an mRNA vaccine to reduce infection and transmission of vivax malariaMalaria caused by Plasmodium vivax remains a major challenge to malaria elimination efforts due to the parasite’s ability to form dormant liver-stage hypnozoites. These dormant parasites may reactivate months or even years after the initial infection, causing recurrent episodes of malaria. In addition to triggering repeated blood infections, reactivation enables transmission back to mosquitoes, allowing the disease to persist within communities. To address this problem, the GHIT Fund is investing JPY 648 million (USD 4.1 million1) in a global partnership aimed at developing an mRNA vaccine to reduce infection and transmission of vivax malaria. This project is being led by Mahidol University and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and Ehime University in Japan. The investment builds on a prior GHIT-supported project3 that received approximately JPY 70 million (USD 0.4 million1) between 2023 and 2025.

Investment of JPY 93 million (approx. USD 0.6 million1) in diagnostic registration and JPY 183 million (USD 1.1 million1) in drug development for Chagas diseaseChagas disease is a parasitic infection primarily transmitted through the bite of triatomine bugs. It is estimated that more than seven million people worldwide are infected, with the majority of cases occurring in Latin America.4 Mother-to-child transmission also poses a significant public health challenge, making early diagnosis and prompt treatment essential. For the control of congenital Chagas disease, the GHIT Fund is investing JPY 93 million (USD 0.6 million1) in the registration of a point-of-care diagnostic test in Argentina and Bolivia. This project is led by ISGlobal (the Barcelona Institute for Global Health), a research institute in Spain, and Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. in Japan. The GHIT Fund is also investing approximately JPY 183 million (USD 1.1 million1) in lead identification, which represents an early-stage step in the development of new drugs for Chagas disease being led by Eisai Co., Ltd. and others.

In addition, the GHIT Fund will invest a total of approximately JPY 466 million (approx. USD 2.9 million1) in the following three R&D projects:

Please refer to Appendix 1 for detailed descriptions on these projects and their development stages.

The six projects funded in this round bring together partners from a total of 13 countries. Since its inception, the GHIT Fund has worked with more than 210 research and development partners, including more than 140 overseas institutions. The GHIT Fund serves as a bridge connecting pharmaceutical companies, universities, and research institutes in Japan with their counterparts around the world.

As of December 31, 2025, there are 43 ongoing projects, including 19 discovery projects, 12 preclinical projects, and 12 clinical trials5 in the GHIT Fund’s portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is JPY 42.5 billion (USD 271 million1) (Appendix 2).

1 USD 1 = JPY 156.53, the approximate exchange rate on December 30, 2025.2 These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2024-002 and RFP2025-001 for the Product Development Platform, the Target Research Platform, and the Hit-to-Lead Platform, which were open for applications from June 2024 to July 2025.3 Project details: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/207/en4 WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chagas-disease-(american-trypanosomiasis)5 This number includes projects in the registration phase.

The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.https://www.ghitfund.org/

Appendix 1. Project Details  

ID: G2025-112

ID: G2025-121

ID: H2025-101

ID: G2024-105

ID: T2025-157

ID: T2025-151

*All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD 1 = JPY 156.53, the approximate exchange rate on December 30, 2025.

Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of December 31, 2025)

Investments to date Total investments: JPY 42.5 billion (USD 271 million1)Total invested projects: 144 (43 active projects and 101 completed projects)

To learn more about the GHIT Fund’s investments, please visitInvestment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/enPortfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/enAdvancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/enClinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en

For more information, contact:Nancy Moss at +1-908-606-8940 or [email protected]Eriko Mugitani at +81-36441-2032 or [email protected]