Chris Snyder, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Institute for Progress and an economics professor at Dartmouth, dives deep into Advanced Market Commitments (AMCs). He discusses the unexpected collaboration of the U.S. and Russia in funding innovations. Snyder reveals why certain diseases like malaria didn't get AMCs, while cancer and Alzheimer’s may be poor candidates. He explores the complexities of vaccine funding and the vital role of organizations like the Gates Foundation in enhancing vaccine distribution, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to health challenges.
The podcast emphasizes the dual importance of pull and push funding in promoting innovation, particularly in addressing unmet social needs in healthcare.
Professor Snyder illustrates how the Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) model effectively accelerates vaccine development, significantly reducing market entry time for essential health products.
The discussion highlights the Market Shaping Accelerator's goal to apply AMC insights to broader issues like climate change, fostering innovation through strategic funding mechanisms.
Deep dives
Understanding Pull and Push Funding
Pull funding offers financial rewards at the end of the innovation pipeline, incentivizing private parties to develop products by promising payments for successful outcomes. In contrast, push funding supports innovators from the start by providing grants to cover research and development costs. This discussion emphasizes the importance of both funding types—while push funding has long been the standard, pull funding can incentivize faster market responses, particularly in areas where social needs are not adequately met by commercial interests. The unique characteristics of pull funding, such as addressing societal needs through guaranteed future payments, make it a valuable tool in healthcare and other innovation-driven sectors.
Advanced Market Commitment Explained
The Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) operates as a promise from funders to purchase or subsidize innovative products that are not yet developed, thus stimulating investments in areas like vaccines for neglected diseases. This funding mechanism aims to provide assurance to firms that their investments in research will be compensated, encouraging innovation in sectors that might otherwise lack commercial viability, such as vaccines for conditions prevalent in low-income countries. By guaranteeing a market for these products several years ahead of their anticipated release, AMCs have transformed how health products are developed and distributed, providing a model that could be applied to other global challenges. These innovative funding mechanisms are pivotal in addressing public health issues and can influence the development of solutions to pressing societal problems.
Lessons From the Pneumococcal AMC
The implementation of the pneumococcal AMC served as a pilot program to validate the effectiveness of AMCs in accelerating the introduction of essential vaccines in low-income countries. Despite initial challenges and the complexity of the global health landscape, the AMC for the pneumococcal vaccine significantly reduced the time to market availability compared to past practices, potentially saving countless lives. The program secured over $1.5 billion for development, emphasizing the importance of coordinated global investment in health solutions that address high mortality rates from diseases like pneumonia in vulnerable populations. By drawing lessons from this successful model, policymakers can explore new avenues for AMCs in different sectors, ultimately leading to more effective responses to global health crises.
The Role of Market Shaping in Future Innovation
The Market Shaping Accelerator aims to leverage the insights gained from AMCs to apply market-shaping strategies in vital areas, including climate change and pandemic preparedness. By incentivizing innovative solutions and supporting a competitive environment, the accelerator seeks to attract diverse proposals and funding to address critical global issues. This includes identifying areas with significant social needs that lack commercial viability, creating pathways for investment that target both immediate and long-term objectives. With a focus on broad public good, the accelerator empowers stakeholders to explore various mechanisms that complement traditional funding approaches, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of innovation strategies.
Future Prospects for Advanced Market Commitments
The continued evolution and application of AMCs in emerging sectors highlight both the potential for success and the inherent challenges in designing these funding mechanisms. As new areas are identified for market shaping, such as carbon removal and broader health innovations, careful consideration must be given to structuring these mechanisms to balance immediate social needs with long-term strategic objectives. The dialogue surrounding AMCs raises important questions about resource allocation, competitive dynamics, and the sustainability of funding models in addressing urgent global challenges. In fostering collaboration among governments, NGOs, and private organizations, the goal remains to create robust frameworks that facilitate market participation and encourage innovative approaches to pressing issues.
Today's interviewee, Professor Chris Snyder, is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Institute for Progress (IFP). He teaches economics at Dartmouth College, where he specializes in industrial organization and microeconomic theory. He is also a research associate at the NBER, treasurer of the Industrial Organization Society, and a faculty director for the University of Chicago's Market Shaping Accelerator.
Chris played a pivotal role in the advance market commitment, or “AMC,” for the pneumococcal vaccine, which saved close to a million lives.
What you’ll learn:
How did the U.S. and Russia end up in the same funding coalition? Why didn’t we design an AMC for malaria? How do you place a market value on future innovations?Why would cancer and Alzheimer’s be poor candidates for an AMC?
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