World Leaders Vow to Put $8 Billion Toward COVID-19 Research

More than a dozen countries — with the notable exception of the United States — have pledged to contribute approximately $8 billion to develop potential COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

The effort, which kicked off Monday, is being led by European Union members France, Germany, Italy and Spain, along with Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Norway and the United Kingdom. The initiative also drew pledges from other countries, including China.

Addressing the U.S. absence, the State Department said that “the U.S. welcomes other high-quality, transparent contributions from donors all over the world to join the fight against this pandemic.”

The funding effort is running throughout May with the hope of attracting more funding for developing and distributing COVID-19 treatments and vaccine candidates, as well as diagnostic tests.

A separate global initiative, the “Billion Molecules Against COVID-19 Grand Challenge,” was unveiled on Monday by the Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI). The program aims to screen billions of molecules that may block interactions with the virus and to “ultra-fast-track” development of therapies. The first phase, which will last until June 6, will tap massive molecular libraries using supercomputing and artificial intelligence technology. — James Miessler