Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) disproportionally affect those living in poverty: almost all of the “bottom billion” of the world’s poorest populations suffer from one or more NTD. Almost exclusively infectious diseases, NTDs, along with tuberculosis and malaria, have not received significant funding for drug research for more than a generation, in large part due to a lack of potential return on the substantial investment required for new drug development. Recently, with encouragement and funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other philanthropic organizations, new models for collaborative drug discovery and development have begun to emerge. Not-for-profit Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) that coordinate Discovery research between university researchers, pharma partners and CROs, and subsequently advance clinical programs, are developing new and promising NTD therapies for malaria and parasitic diseases. Large, non-competitive consortia, in which drug discovery information is freely shared to avoid duplication and speed the advancement of new drug candidates, are working to identify new treatments for TB and worm infections. This lecture will highlight collaborative drug discovery models and describe the benefits and challenges of working together toward alleviating the collective suffering caused by NTDs.

Collaborating to bring resources to neglected diseases research

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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