Therapeutic approaches for many tropical infectious diseases often rely on the use of old drugs that are accompanied by significant toxicities and/or have lost effectiveness due to the development of drug resistance. The recent efforts of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other funding organizations have resulted in renewed research toward the development of new therapies for such neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including various parasitic diseases, tuberculosis and malaria. With vast expertise and resources in drug discovery and development, the biopharmaceutical industry can be a key partner for not-for-profit groups that focus on NTD drug development. This presentation will provide a case study of the NTD program at AbbVie, a collaborative effort between R&D and Corporate Responsibility teams in which more than 150 scientists commit a portion of their time to supporting NTD projects. This intersection of Pharma capabilities and various partners’ needs, spanning from early discovery through preclinical and clinical studies on promising candidates, provides high-quality scientific support, energizes and motivates participating scientists, and speeds the identification of new therapies for those most in need.

Case study: Pharma assisted drug discovery and development for neglected diseases

254th National Meeting (2017)

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