R&D Blueprint and COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, but the global response draws on the lessons learned from other disease outbreaks over the past several decades.

As part of WHO’s response, the R&D Blueprint was activated to accelerate diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for this novel coronavirus. The Blueprint aims to improve coordination between scientists and global health professionals, accelerate the research and development process, and develop new norms and standards to learn from and improve upon the global response.

On 30 January 2020, following the recommendations of the Emergency Committee, the WHO Director-General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

World scientists on COVID-19 then met at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters on 11–12 February 2020 to assess the current level of knowledge about the new virus, agree on critical research questions that need to be answered urgently, and to find ways to work together to accelerate and fund priority research to curtail this outbreak and prepare for those in the future.

The discussion led to an agreement on two main goals. The first was to accelerate innovative research to help contain the spread of the epidemic and facilitate care for those affected. The second was to support research priorities that contribute to global research platforms in hopes of learning from the current pandemic response to better prepare for the next unforeseen epidemic.

Building on the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the R&D Blueprint has facilitated a coordinated and accelerated response to COVID-19, including an unprecedented program to develop a vaccine, research into potential pharmaceutical treatments and strengthened channels for information sharing between countries.

Events

Highlights

Reports

During this consultation (the second specifically addressing this topic) global experts reviewed the available evidence, enumerate knowledge gaps, and...

In the course of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has hosted three critical forums of world experts on research and innovation that...

This updated report once again brings a spotlight to the immense and tireless global research effort to control COVID-19.The report not only details...

This report provides a summary of global research initiatives and achievements to tackle COVID-19 agreed at the outset of the pandemic. Within a few weeks...

  WHO is publishing here the final version of Target Product Profiles (TPP) for priority COVID-19 diagnostics. These TPPs describe the desirable...

On 11-12 February 2020, WHO, in collaboration with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response (GLOPID-R) –...

Vaccines

Expert groups


 

Achievements


 

Reports


Studies per country, showing study design, type of vaccine, study phase and type of patients.

Disclaimer on third-party websites*

20 January 2022

WHO calls for comments on the revised Target Product Profile for COVID-19 vaccines

29 November 2021

Assays & Animal Models - Outline of research priorities related to the Omicron variant

25 October 2021

Emerging evidence on additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines and their safety

13 August 2021

WHO COVID-19 Vaccines Research: Can booster doses contribute to control this pandemic: what research is needed?

11 February 2021

Methodological approaches to assess variants effect on vaccine efficacy, effectiveness and impact

9 February 2021

Report of the WHO AG on human challenge studies

21 January 2021

COVID-19 vaccines: Knowledge gaps and research priorities - WHO ad hoc consultation

12 January 2021

COVID-19 new variants: Knowledge gaps and research

28 September 2020

COVID-19 Target product profiles for priority diagnostics to support response to the COVID-19 pandemic v.1.0

4 June 2020

COVID-19 Animal Models - Summary of progress made by the WHO COVID-19 modelling (March-04 June 2020)

5 May 2020

Summary of progress made by the WHO assays for vaccines group of experts (18 March – 1 April)

4 April 2020

COVID-19 Animal Models - Summary of progress made by the WHO COVID-19 modelling (15-26 March 2020)

20 March 2020

COVID-19 Animal Models - Summary of progress made by the WHO COVID-19 modelling (27 February - 15 March 2020)

Therapeutics

Reports



1 December 2021

WHO Joint Advisory Group on COVID 19 Therapeutics Prioritization - DRAFT Statement on the possible effects of the new SARS CoV-2 Omicron variant on treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

2 December 2020

WHO Target Product Profiles for COVID-19 Therapeutics for non-hospitalized patients

29 July 2020

WHO target product profiles for COVID-19 therapeutics

19 June 2020

Informal consultation on the potential inclusion of Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir in a clinical trial - 19 June 2020

13 May 2020

Informal consultation on the potential inclusion of Immunomodulators in a clinical trial - 13 May 2020

8 May 2020

Informal consultation on the dose of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the SOLIDARITY Clinical Trial - 8 April 2020

7 May 2020

Clinical Trial Design Working Group – consultation on immunomodulators - 7th May 2020

6 May 2020

Informal consultation on the potential inclusion of Immunomodulators in a clinical trial - 6 May 2020

1 May 2020

Informal consultation on the role of therapeutics in COVID-19 prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis - 1 May 2020

16 April 2020

Informal consultation on the role of therapeutics in COVID-19 prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis - 16 April 2020

15 April 2020

Informal consultation on the role of therapeutics in COVID-19 prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis - 15 April 2020

11 April 2020

Informal consultation on the potential role of interleukin-6 blockers in the clinical management of COVID-19 infection -  11th April 2020

10 April 2020

Informal consultation on the role of therapeutics in COVID-19 prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis - 10 April 2020

Ethics

Social Science

Meetings

All →

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