Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi)
Research Areas
At a Glance
- Status: Active Consortium
- Year Launched: 2003
- Initiating Organization: DNDi
- Initiator Type: Nonprofit foundation
- Rare disease
- Disease focus:
Malaria, Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, Sleeping sickness - Location: International
Abstract
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) is a collaborative, patient needs–driven, nonprofit drug research and development (R&D) organization that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases. DNDi is working on the following diseases: leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis, HAT), Chagas disease, and malaria. In 2011, DNDi started to take on specific projects for two new disease areas: pediatric HIV and filarial diseases.
Mission
DNDi’s mission is to develop new drugs, or new formulations of existing drugs, for patients suffering from the most neglected communicable diseases. Acting in the public interest, DNDi will bridge existing R&D gaps in essential drugs for these diseases by initiating and coordinating drug R&D projects in collaboration with the international research community, the public sector, the pharmaceutical industry, and other relevant partners.
DNDi’s primary focus has been the development of drugs for the most neglected diseases, such as HAT, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar), and Chagas disease, while considering engagement in R&D projects for other neglected diseases or development of diagnostics and/or vaccines to address unmet needs that others are unable or unwilling to address.
In pursuing these goals, DNDi will manage R&D networks built on South-South and North-South collaborations. While using the existing support capacities in countries where the diseases are endemic, DNDi will help to build additional capacity in a sustainable manner through technology transfer in the field of drug R&D for neglected diseases.
In December 2011, the Board of Directors decided that while maintaining its full commitment to neglected diseases such as sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease, DNDi will conclude its malaria activities by 2014, maintaining emphasis on technology transfer and sustained access, and take on new activities in the fields of pediatric HIV and specific helminth infections.
Consortium History
July 2003: Start date
Structure & Governance
Highlights of the Business Plan
Although the R&D landscape for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has improved since 2000, sustainable public funding remains a critical issue to support these R&D efforts.
DNDi will concentrate its efforts on the three primary diseases (leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and HAT). It will complete its malaria activities and launch two mini-portfolios: pediatric HIV and specific helminth infections.
With its pipeline maturing, DNDi will increasingly focus on access, with the ultimate aim of facilitating maximum impact via appropriate use of treatments, assuring their effective transition to relevant access partners and implementers, and leveraging success for future steps.
A critical component of the updated strategy is the further empowerment of regional offices, with the goal of transitioning their role from one of support to one of more active contribution to all DNDi activities.
Financing
DNDi is grateful for the support received from donors who contributed to the advancement of its mission and goals. DNDi invested €120 million from 2003 to 2011. DNDi has secured €340 million (approximately 85 percent) of the €400 million needed to fund its estimated needs by 2018.
Impact/Accomplishment
DNDi’s primary objective is to deliver a total of 11 to 13 new treatments by 2018 for leishmaniasis, HAT, Chagas disease, malaria, pediatric HIV, and specific helminth infections and to establish a strong R&D portfolio that addresses patient needs.
Working in partnership with private industry, public institutions, academia, and nongovernmental organizations, DNDi has built the largest ever R&D portfolio for the kinetoplastid diseases and has currently under way five projects in the implementation, seven in the clinical, and seven in the preclinical stages.
To date, DNDi has successfully delivered:
Links/Social Media Feed
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Points of Contact
Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
15 Chemin Louis-Dunant
1202 Geneva
Switzerland
phone: + 41 (0) 22 906 9230
fax: +41 (0) 22 906 9231
Regional Offices
DNDi North America (Affiliate)
40 Wall Street, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10005
phone: +1 646 616-8680
www.dndina.org
DNDi Africa
Post address:
c/o Centre for Clinical Research
Kenya Medical Research Institute
P.O. Box 20778
KNH 00202
Nairobi
Kenya
Office address:
c/o Centre for Clinical Research
Kenya Medical Research Institute
Nairobi
Kenya
phone: +254 20 273 30 31; +254 20 207 7767
DNDi Latin America
Rua Santa Heloisa 5
Jardim Botânico
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
22460-080
Brazil
phone: +55 21 2215-2941
www.dndial.org
DNDi India
F -79 Green Park Main,
New Delhi 110016,
India
phone: +91 11 4550 1795
DNDi Malaysia
Administration Building, IPharm-MOSTI
Blok 5-A, Halaman Bukit Gambir
11700 Pulau Pinang
Malaysia
phone: +604 655 2829
DNDi Japan
704 Nishi-Shinjuku KF Bldg
8-14-24 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-0023
Japan
phone: +81-3-4550-1199
fax: +81-3-5937-6977
www.dndijapan.org
Project Support Office
DNDi in Democratic Republic of Congo
Avenue Milambo, n°4
Quartier Socimat
Commune de la Gombe
Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
phone: +243 81 011 81 31
Sponsors & Partners
Indian Council of Medical Research |
Institut Pasteur |
Kenya Medical Research Institute |
Medecins Sans Frontieres |
Ministry of Health (Malaysia) |
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation/Fiocruz (Brazil) |
WHO Special Programme for Research Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) |