Press Releases

[New York, NY, USA and Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 2013]
DNDi Selected as Finalist for Rockefeller Foundation’s “Next Century Innovators Award”
Public Voting Underway Through May 31 – Finalist with Most Votes Will Receive Award
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) was selected as one of two finalists for the Rockefeller Foundation’s “Next Century Innovators Awards”, recognizing innovative organizations working to improve conditions for vulnerable populations around the world.

[Paris, France, and Geneva, Switzerland– 25 April 2013]
Sanofi and DNDi celebrate six years of collaboration in fighting malaria by distributing 200 million treatments of ASAQ
On World Malaria Day
Sanofi (EURONEXT, SAN and NYSE;SNY) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), an independent not-for-profit foundation, announce that on the occasion of World Malaria Day, more than 200 million treatments of ASAQ Winthrop have been distributed in Africa since the medication became available in 2007.
[PDF] [Français]

[Geneva, Switzerland and Nairobi, Kenya – 23 April 2013]
International Consortium, To Bring New Treatments for Kala-Azar Patients in East Africa, Receives Funding Boost from European Union
Research and development (R&D) project, AfriCoLeish, is supported by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (EU FP7) through a grant of €3 million. The project will run for three years and aims to test new treatments for kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis, or VL) and co-infection of the disease with HIV in Ethiopia and Sudan.

[Geneva, Switzerland – 22 April 2013]
Swiss Malaria Group announces winners of malaria photo contest
On the occasion of World Malaria Day 2013, the Swiss Malaria Group announce the winners of the photo contest “Malaria: The Big Picture”. The online photo contest and subsequent exhibition was organised by the Swiss Malaria Group to highlight the reality of those living at risk of malaria and the work of those dedicated to changing that reality.
[Click here to view the winning photos from each category][Français] [Deutsch]

[Cochabamba, Bolivia – 16 April 2013]
Specialists from around the world have gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia to discuss projects to improve the health and quality of life of those affected by Chagas disease
“Chagas Week: Neglected Disease” gathers doctors, specialists, researchers and authorities to discuss issues related to the disease that affects up to 8 million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America, according to the World Health Organization.
[PDF][Español] [Português]

[Mexico City – 10 April 2013]
DNDi Latin America Pledges 2013 Carlos Slim Health Award to Chagas Disease
This silent killer urgently needs a coordinated response and action plan
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Latin America today announced that it will pledge the US $100,000 Carlos Slim Health Award to Chagas disease, the leading parasitic killer of the Americas..

[Tokyo, Japan, and Geneva, Switzerland – 8 April 2013]
DNDi Welcomes the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)
New Japan-Driven Initiative to Accelerate Research & Development Innovation for Neglected Diseases
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), based in Geneva, Switzerland, and DNDi Japan, based in Tokyo, welcome the launch of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), an initiative supported by the Japanese government, several Japanese pharmaceutical companies, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [Japanese - in pdf]

[Geneva, Switzerland - 27 February 2013]
DNDi Welcomes Medicines Patent Pool Collaboration Agreement with ViiV Healthcare as Important Precedent for Facilitating Development of Paediatric ARV Formulations
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) welcomes today’s announcement by the Medicines Patent Pool of a new collaboration with ViiV Healthcare. This collaboration will facilitate the development of urgently needed, new paediatric ARV formulations through the licensing of patents from various companies.

[Geneva, Switzerland - 26 February 2013]
DNDi Receives BBVA Foundation Award for Development Cooperation for Delivering New Treatments for Neglected Diseases
Today in Madrid, Spain, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) received the BBVA Foundation ‘Frontiers of Knowledge and Culture Award for Development Cooperation’. This EUR 400,000 award will be presented at a ceremony in Madrid, Spain, in June of this year.

[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Geneva, Switzerland, 15 February 2013]
DNDi Latin America receives 2013 Carlos Slim Award for Innovations in Neglected Disease Drug Development
Today the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in Latin America received the Carlos Slim Health Award for 10 years of exceptional work and achievements in research and development (R&D) to deliver new treatments for neglected patients in the region. The $100,000 award will be presented at a ceremony in April in Mexico City.
[PDF] [Español] [Português]

[New York, NY, 13 December 2012]
Millions of Patients Still Waiting for Medical “Breakthroughs” Against Neglected Diseases
Analysis of Health R&D Pipeline Shows Important Progress, but Significant Gaps in Innovation Remain
Despite important progress in research and development (R&D) for global health over the past decade, only a small fraction of new medicines developed between 2000 and 2011 were for the treatment of neglected diseases, highlighting the ‘fatal imbalance’ between global disease burden and drug development for some of the world most devastating illnesses, said Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), in an analysis to be presented today at an international conference aimed at spurring medical innovations for these diseases. 
[Deutsch] [Español] [Português]

[Geneva, Switzerland, 11 December 2012]
DNDi is awarded USD 17.3 million from UNITAID to bolster development and delivery of child-adapted antiretroviral (ARV) formulation
Grant to help expedite 4-in-1 ARVs adapted for babies and toddlers with HIV/AIDS, including those co-infected with tuberculosis
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative welcomes the announcement by UNITAID to grant up to USD 17.3 million to the organization for its paediatric HIV programme. The grant, to be disbursed over three years, will enable DNDi and partners to build on the advances made in the field of paediatric HIV to date, and drive specific research and development to deliver child-adapted ARV formulations that do not require refrigeration, are easy-to-administer and palatable, with simplified dosing, and which can be given to children co-infected with tuberculosis.

[Geneva, Switzerland and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo - 6 December 2012]
New Oral Drug Candidate for African Sleeping Sickness
Phase II/III Clinical Trial Launched in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic
A new oral‐only treatment for sleeping sickness has entered Phase II/III clinical study in patients with late‐stage sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and soon in Central African Republic (CAR). The study, initiated by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and its partners, will test the efficacy and safety of fexinidazole, with once daily tablets for ten days.
[Français] [Deutsch]

[New York, USA/Geneva, Switzerland - 30 November 30 2012]
DNDi Applauds Call for Scale-Up of Pediatric HIV Treatment in US PEPFAR Blueprint for an AIDS-Free Generation
Age-appropriate formulations of antiretroviral drugs urgently need to be developed and delivered to save the lives of babies and toddlers living with HIV/AIDS
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) welcomed the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)’s new ‘PEPFAR Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-Free Generation,’ released by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in advance of World AIDS Day, and its focus on ensuring ambitious scale-up of treatment and diagnosis for people with HIV/AIDS, including children living with HIV/AIDS.
Watch "Children living with HIV/AIDS: the reality of a neglected disease", a short film on the daily life of a mother with an infected child in South Africa

[Geneva, Switzerland – 13 November 2012]
Open Access Initiative Reveals Drug Hits for Deadly Neglected Tropical Diseases
DNDi screens MMV’s open access Malaria Box, leading to three potential drug classes to treat sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, which threaten the lives of millions throughout sub-Saharan Africa and pockets around the world.
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) announce today the identification of three chemical series targeting the treatment of deadly neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), through DNDi’s screening of MMV’s open access Malaria Box. The resulting DNDi screening data are among the first data generated on the Malaria Box to be released into the public domain, exemplifying the potential of openly sharing drug development data for neglected patients.

[Geneva, Switzerland; Atlanta, GA, USA – 12 November 2012]
USD 3 Million Awarded to Find Biomarkers for Potential Test of Cure for Chagas Disease
Wellcome Trust to fund three-year study in Texas to look for new biological markers measuring treatment efficacy for the leading parasitic killer of the Americas
Today at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announces a new USD 3 million Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to identify new biological markers for the evaluation of treatment efficacy in Chagas disease, a potentially fatal neglected tropical disease.

[New York, USA, Geneva, Switzerland – 8 November 2012]
International Medical Conference to Assess Progress and Shortcomings of Global Health Revolution for Neglected Patients
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Global Health Program Convene Medical Experts from Around the World for New York Conference
Meeting the lifesaving needs of people left behind by the global health revolution will be the focus of a major medical conference in December in New York, held by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Global Health Program.
[Español] [Português]

[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mumbai, India, and Geneva, Switzerland – 3 October 2012]
WHO Prequalifies A New Artemisinin-Based Combination Treatment (ACT) for Malaria. Artesunate-Mefloquine Fixed-Dose Combination (ASMQ FDC) to be rolled out throughout Asia
Cipla, one of the leading generic pharmaceutical companies, along with the non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) today announced the prequalification of the fixed dose combination (FDC) of Artesunate (AS) and Mefloquine (MQ) – ASMQ FDC – by the World Health Organization (WHO). This Cipla-manufactured ASMQ FDC is the first artesunate-mefloquine FDC to be prequalified by WHO and is recommended for the treatment of malaria.
[Malay]

Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in Latin America to Fight Neglected Diseases Through Research and Development Partnership
[Rio de Janeiro, 23 September 2012]
At the opening ceremony of the XVIII International Congress for Tropical Medicines and Malaria (ICTMM) and the XLVIII Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine in Rio de Janeiro, the Ministry of Health of Brazil signed a Cooperation and Technical Assistance Agreement with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Latin America, uniting the three actors in a strategic partnership to collaborate on research and development (R&D) for new therapies and diagnostics for neglected diseases. [Português] [Español]

DNDi and Cipla to Develop 4-in-1 Paediatric Antiretroviral Drug Combination
New formulation to fill the deadly gap in appropriate HIV medicines
[Washington, DC; Geneva; Mumbai - 20 July 2012]
On the eve of the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization, announced a new collaboration with Indian drug manufacturer Cipla to develop and produce an improved first-line antiretroviral (ARV) combination therapy specifically adapted to meet the treatment needs of infants and toddlers living with HIV/AIDS. Once delivered, this new paediatric ARV combination could help to accelerate the provision of care to the world’s youngest children living with HIV/AIDS, who are at very high risk of dying without treatment. An estimated 3.4 million children have HIV/AIDS, but less than a quarter currently have access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), compared with 54% for adults. Without treatment, more than half of children with HIV/AIDS will die before their second birthday, and 80% will die before they turn five.

DNDi appoints new R&D Director
[Geneva, Switzerland, June 29, 2012]
Dr Graeme Bilbe to Lead DNDi’s R&D Efforts to Address the Treatment Needs of the Most Neglected Patients
The not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announces the appointment of its new R&D Director, Dr Graeme Bilbe, previously with Novartis. With this move, Bilbe brings his vast experience in drug discovery and development to the field of neglected diseases.  
Listen to Dr. Bilbe's podcast on DNDi's R&D challenges

[Geneva, Switzerland, June21, 2012]
University of Dundee Awards Honorary Laws Degree to Bernard Pécoul, DNDi Executive Director
Award recognizes importance of investing in scientific research around the world

The University of Dundee awarded Dr Bernard Pécoul, Executive Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), with an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree (LLD).  

This week, the University of Dundee awards a Doctor of Laws Degree (LLD) to eleven leading figures from fields including medicine, research, life sciences, law, art, and extreme adventure. University of Dundee Principal, Professor Pete Downes, considers the recipients, among whom Dr Bernard Pécoul, to be ‘among the highest achievers, clearest thinkers, and most respected voices in their fields’.

Astellas and DNDi to Collaborate on New Drug Discovery Research for the Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases
[Tokyo, Japan and Geneva, Switzerland, June 12, 2012]
Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo:4503, ”Astellas”) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced an agreement today to collaborate on drug discovery research for leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness – three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) which together affect nearly 10 million people worldwide. The agreement is a first critical step in Astellas’ new strategy to enter into the field of NTDs, with DNDi as its first partner.

[Geneva, Switzerland - 21 May 2012]
Sustainable R&D Framework Needed to Address Essential Health Needs of Developing Countries
DNDi Welcomes World Health Organization Expert Recommendations to Begin Negotiations for an R&D Convention at the World Health Assembly
After a decade-long process of analysis and deliberations on ways to better address the health needs of developing countries, a recently released report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG) will be discussed this week at the 65th World Health Assembly (agenda item 13.14). The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization, welcomes the experts’ conclusion that ‘the time has now come for WHO Member States to begin a process leading to the negotiation of a binding agreement on R&D relevant to the health needs of developing countries’. [Português] [Español]

[Mumbai - Geneva– 24th April 2012]
Cipla and DNDi announce the forthcoming launch of Artesunate + Mefloquine fixed-dose combination for P. falciparum malaria
On the occasion of World Malaria Day, Cipla, one of the world’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies in collaboration with Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) announced the forthcoming launch of the Fixed-Dose combination of ‘Artesunate (AS)1 + Mefloquine (MQ)2’ for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. There were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria globally in 2010.

[Boston, USA and Geneva, Switzerland – 12 April 2012]
AstraZeneca and DNDi to Collaborate on Drug Screening for Neglected Tropical Diseases
AstraZeneca and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) today announce an agreement to collaborate on drug-compound screening for leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness, three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) which together affect nearly 10 million people worldwide. Novel drug candidates to emerge from this collaboration will bolster the drug development pipeline for new medicines urgently needed by millions of patients. [Deutsch]

[Geneva, Switzerland – 12 March 2012]
DNDi Secures EUR 2 Million Strategic Translation Award from Wellcome Trust to Develop a New Drug against Chagas Disease
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has received a EUR 2 Million Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to develop the azole compound E1224, a promising drug to treat Chagas disease being tested in adult patients in Bolivia. The Award, the first that DNDi has received from the Wellcome Trust, will take the project to the end of Phase II clinical trials.[Português] [Español]

[Geneva, Switzerland – 12 March 2012]
DNDi Launches Phase I In-Human Clinical Trial for Promising Oral Drug for Sleeping Sickness
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has commenced a Phase I clinical trial in healthy adults in Paris, France, to determine the safety and tolerability of a promising oral drug candidate Oxaborole SCYX-7158, to treat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness) for stage 1 and stage 2 of the disease.

[Geneva, Switzerland – 30 January 2012]
Filling R&D Gaps Key to Succeeding in NTD Control and Elimination Goals by 2020
On the occasion of today’s high-level event in London, ‘Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases,’ organized in support of the new World Health Organization (WHO) Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) 2020 Roadmap, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) welcomes the commitments from various partners and emphasizes that filling the major gaps in research and development (R&D) to develop new treatment and diagnostic tools is key to effectively support elimination or control of targeted NTDs by 2020. [Deutsch] [Español] [Português] [Japanese]

[London – 30 January 2012]
Private and Public Partners Unite to Combat 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2020
Partners pledge innovative, coordinated action aimed at new World Health Organisation goals
Today, 13 pharmaceutical companies, the U.S., U.K. and U.A.E governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and other global health organisations announced a new, coordinated push to accelerate progress toward eliminating or controlling 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade.

[Geneva, Switzerland – 30 January 2012]
DNDi and Abbott Expand Partnership to Boost Innovation for Neglected Tropical Diseases
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Abbott have signed a four-year joint research and non-exclusive licensing agreement to undertake research on new treatments for several of the world's most neglected tropical diseases, including Chagas disease, helminth infections, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. Through this collaboration, DNDi and Abbott scientists will focus initial efforts on discovering and advancing novel antimicrobial agents with activity against these neglected diseases.

[Geneva, Switzerland – 23 January 2012]
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research Grants EUR 8 Million to DNDi for the Development of New Treatments for Neglected Tropical Diseases
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF) has granted EUR 8 Million  to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to develop innovative treatments for neglected tropical diseases. The grant will be disbursed over the period of 2011-2015 and is part of a larger funding programme of EUR 20 million allocated by the BMBF to three product development partnerships (PDPs)*. [Deutsch]