Press Releases 2009

Press Releases 2009

DNDi Receives $15M from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
[Geneva, Switzerland - November 20, 2009]
The grant will advance development of a promising new medicine against sleeping sickness
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has received a USD 15 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to undertake clinical development of a new medicine to treat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, a fatal disease that threatens 60 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa.The grant to be disbursed to DNDi over five years, will provide critical funding for the development of fexinidazole, currently the only new drug candidate in clinical development for sleeping sickness.

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Press Releases 2009

Pfizer and DNDi Advancing International Research Efforts in
The Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
[New York, USA, Geneva, Switzerland - November 18, 2009]
Pfizer Inc and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have signed an agreement that is designed to facilitate advancements in the battle against human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and Chagas disease, which afflict vulnerable populations in the developing world. Under the agreement, DNDi will have access to the Pfizer library of novel chemical entities, in order to screen it for compounds that have the potential to be developed into new treatments.

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Press Releases 2009

Eisai and DNDi Enter into a Collaboration and License Agreement  To Develop a New Drug for Chagas Disease
[Geneva, Switzerland - September 29, 2009]
Eisai Co., Ltd. (“Eisai”) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit independent foundation, announced today that they have signed a collaboration and license agreement for the clinical development of a promising new drug for the treatment of Chagas disease, a fatal infectious disease that threatens 100 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean. [Español] [Português]

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Press Releases 2009

NECT: Improved treatment for sleeping sickness now available
[Geneva, Switzerland, Kampala, Uganda - September 22, 2009] 
NECT  (Nifurtimox-Eflornithine Combination Therapy), the first new treatment in 25 years against Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT)  or sleeping sickness - is now available.  Endemic countries have now begun the process of ordering the new combination treatment and kits through the World Health Organization (WHO). Developed by DNDi and its partners, NECT cuts the cost of treatment by half and significantly reduces the burden on health workers. The announcement was made today at the International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasi Research and Control (ISCTRC), in Kampala, Uganda. [Français]

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Press Releases 2009

New Consortium to Develop Drugs for Neglected Tropical Diseases
[Leiden, The Netherlands - August 17, 2009]
PRNewswire - A new consortium has been formed to boost drug development for the treatment of two deadly diseases, African sleeping sickness and Leishmaniasis, which affect millions of people worldwide. A total budget of nearly 3.6 million euros has been allocated over the next 4 years, to develop effective drugs for these diseases. The consortium includes IOTA Pharmaceuticals, Mercachem, Nycomed, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, the Royal Tropical Institute, the University of Bern, the VU University Amsterdam and TI Pharma. [English] [Deutsch]

Press Releases 2009

Forgotten and with few treatment options, Chagas debilitates and kills
[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - July 9, 2009]
100 years since Chagas disease was discovered, DNDi launches an international campaign “Wake Up. Time to Treat Chagas Disease!” with a call for better medicines and treatment of patients. [Português]

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Press Releases 2009

Progress in Africa on medical R&D – from patient needs to new treatments
Innovative collaborations find solutions for the most neglected diseases
[Nairobi, Kenya - June 23, 2009]
Over 250 African and international health researchers, policymakers and three Ministers of Health (Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda) from 28 countries are meeting today in Nairobi at the 2nd international Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) stakeholder conference organised to stimulate greater regional research partnership to fight the most neglected diseases such as sleeping sickness, kala azar, malaria, and Chagas disease.

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Press Releases 2009

Merck & Co., Inc. and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative Collaborate to Find Treatments for World's Most Neglected Tropical Diseases
[Nairobi, Kenya, and Whitehouse Station, N.J., USA - June 22, 2009]
On the eve of an international meeting bringing together 200 African researchers to discuss progress on research for neglected tropical diseases (NTD), Merck & Co., Inc. and the not-for-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced a master agreement to support discovery and development of improved treatments for NTDs.

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Press Releases 2009

Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, and DNDi Collaborate to Identify Drug Candidates to Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis
[ Dundee, UK, and Geneva, Switzerland - June 22, 2009 ]
On the eve of an international meeting bringing together 200 African researchers to discuss progress on research for neglected tropical diseases (NTD), the Drug Discovery Unit University of Dundee, and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced today that they have initiated a collaboration on the discovery and development of affordable and effective therapies for visceral leishmaniasis (kala azar).

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Press Releases 2009

TB Alliance and DNDi Announce Collaborations with Anacor to Apply Boron Technology to Identify New Medicines for Neglected Diseases
[ Palo Alto, Calif., New York, NY and Geneva, Switzerland - May 27, 2009 ]
Anacor Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has entered into a license and research agreement with not-for-profit Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) to explore a novel anti-bacterial drug target for use in tuberculosis (TB) therapy.  Under the agreement, Anacor will provide the TB Alliance with a non-exclusive, royalty-free worldwide license for TB. 

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