Scientific Publications-2009-VL

2009

Developments in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis by den Boer M. L, Alvar J, Davidson‌ R. N, Ritmeijer‌ K, Balasegaram M. In Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs, 2009 Sept, 14; 3, 395-410.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the most neglected parasitic diseases causing large scale mortality and morbidity among the poorest of the poor in the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Objective: This review aims to describe the potential and the (lack of) current impact of newly developed treatments on the control of VL. It describes how the problem of an empty research pipeline is addressed, and discusses the emerging threat of incurable HIV/VL coinfection. Methods: The literature was searched for drugs used in VL. Conclusion: Research and development of VL drugs has received a financial boost but no new drugs are expected in the next 5 years. Only three new and highly effective treatments have been licensed in the past 10 years. These remain, however, largely inaccessible as VL control programs in the developing world are lacking. This is deserving of immediate and urgent attention, especially in the context of the rapidly expanding HIV/VL coinfection.
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Drug discovery for neglected diseases: View of a public-private partnership by Chatelain E, Don R. In Antiparasitic Antibacterial Drug Discovery by Paul M. Selzer (Ed); 2009 Apr: Wiley-Blackwell.
In answer to the lack of modern and effective drugs for diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT; sleeping sickness) and Chagas disease which present no financial viability for the pharmaceutical industry, new models of drug discovery have been developed.
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has adopted a model closely related to that of a virtual biotechnology company for identifying and optimizing drug leads.
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Drug Screening for Kinetoplastid Diseases: A Training Manual for Screening in Neglected Diseases by Ioset JR, Brun R, Wenzler T, Kaiser M, Yardley V. DNDi and Pan-Asian Screening Network 2009 Apr: 74pp.
The production of this research manual is one of the deliverables of the Pan-Asian Network for Drugs for Neglected Diseases from Natural Substances. This comprehensive manual is a practical and user-friendly guide for essays available to screen natural products against pathogens responsible for some of the neglected diseases. It brings recommendations and protocols related to these essays, describes the principles of good scientific practice, and lists information about materials requested for the essays, institutions using them as well as key references.
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