Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) 501(c)(3) is a non-profit drug research and development (R&D) organization that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases.
DNDi was founded in 2003 by Médecins Sans Frontières
and five public-sector research organizations - Kenya Medical Research Institute, Indian Council of Medical Research
, Malaysian Ministry of Health
, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
in Brazil, and France's Institut Pasteur
. WHO
/TDR serves as a permanent observer to the initiative.
DNDi's primary goals are to:
The organization’s current target diseases include malaria
and the three most neglected diseases known as the kinetoplastids: visceral leishmaniasis
(VL), sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis / HAT), and Chagas disease
. Causing over 1 million deaths annually, malaria is the leading parasitic cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This burden is largely carried by developing countries where it has serious economic and social costs. A potentially fatal disease, VL is present in 62 countries, with 200 million people at risk and 500,000 new cases each year. Therapeutic options for VL are limited as there are significant drawbacks like route of administration, toxicity, or cost. HAT, a fatal disease if not treated, threatens more than 50 million people in 36 countries and has limited treatment options. Current treatment options for HAT are limited by severe toxicity, decreasing efficacy and complicated modes of administration. For Chagas disease, which infects 13 million and puts 100 million at risk in Central and South America, drugs are needed to treat both acute and chronic disease, as are safer and more effective drugs adapted to patient needs.
DNDi was founded in 2003 by Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
and five public-sector research organizations - Kenya Medical Research Institute, Indian Council of Medical Research
Indian council of medical research
The Indian Council of Medical Research , New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.-History:...
, Malaysian Ministry of Health
Chua Soi Lek
Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek ; born 2 January 1947, also known as Chua Kin Seng, is a Malaysian politician from the state of Johor. He is married to Datin Seri Wong Sek Hin. They have three children...
, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is a scientific institution for research and development in biomedical sciences located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it is considered one of the world's main public health research institutions. It was founded by Dr...
in Brazil, and France's Institut Pasteur
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
. WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
/TDR serves as a permanent observer to the initiative.
DNDi's primary goals are to:
- Develop new field-relevant treatments for people suffering from neglected diseases;
- Raise awareness through advocacy on research and development of drugs for neglected diseases; and
- Strengthen existing research capacity in countries where neglected diseases are endemic.
Current projects
DNDi uses a "needs-driven" approach that facilitates basic science, preclinical, and clinical research on targeted diseases.The organization’s current target diseases include malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and the three most neglected diseases known as the kinetoplastids: visceral leishmaniasis
Visceral leishmaniasis
Visceral leishmaniasis , also known as kala-azar, black fever, and Dumdum fever, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. This disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world , responsible for an...
(VL), sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis / HAT), and Chagas disease
Chagas disease
Chagas disease is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi is commonly transmitted to humans and other mammals by an insect vector, the blood-sucking insects of the subfamily Triatominae most commonly species belonging to the Triatoma, Rhodnius,...
. Causing over 1 million deaths annually, malaria is the leading parasitic cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This burden is largely carried by developing countries where it has serious economic and social costs. A potentially fatal disease, VL is present in 62 countries, with 200 million people at risk and 500,000 new cases each year. Therapeutic options for VL are limited as there are significant drawbacks like route of administration, toxicity, or cost. HAT, a fatal disease if not treated, threatens more than 50 million people in 36 countries and has limited treatment options. Current treatment options for HAT are limited by severe toxicity, decreasing efficacy and complicated modes of administration. For Chagas disease, which infects 13 million and puts 100 million at risk in Central and South America, drugs are needed to treat both acute and chronic disease, as are safer and more effective drugs adapted to patient needs.
See also
- The Neglected Diseases
- Chagas: Time to Treat campaignChagas: Time to Treat campaignThe Chagas: Time to Treat Campaign is an international campaign started by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative to advocate for increased research and development of treatments for Chagas disease. Chagas is a potentially fatal neglected disease that affects between 8 and 13 million people...
- Bernard PecoulBernard PécoulBernard Pécoul is the executive director of the Geneva-based Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative . Prior to his involvement with the DNDi, Dr...
- FexinidazoleFexinidazoleFexinidazole is an antiparasitic agent. It has activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, Tritrichomonas foetus, Trichomonas vaginalis and Entamoeba histolytica....
External links and publications
- dndi.org, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
- DNDI's Chagas: Time to Treat campaign website