Research organisations join forces to develop treatments for neglected infectious diseases

The collaboration will focus on the development of two types of molecules: quinolines for visceral leishmaniasis and canthin-6-one alkaloids for Chagas's disease. Researchers working at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement have established that these molecules have potential therapeutic activity.

Licensing agreements will enable the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative—a non-profit partnership for product development that includes the Institut Pasteur, Médecins Sans Frontières and four publicly funded research organisations in countries where neglected diseases are endemic—to investigate their use further in preclinical and clinical research programmes.

"These licensing agreements represent a major step forward in research and development of new drugs against neglected diseases," said Alain Fournet, director of research in tropical plant resources at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement.

The World Health Organization recently warned that neglected tropical diseases affect more than one billion people—a sixth of the world's population. It argued that they are a symptom of poverty and disadvantage, "with a low profile and status in public health priorities."

More information is available at www.ird.fr and www.dndi.org.