Product R&D for neglected diseases. Twenty-seven years of WHO/TDR experiences with public-private partnerships.

Abstract

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) was established in 1975 by the United Nations’ Development Programme, the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), at a time when only minimal scientific worldwide effort was dedicated to research into tropical diseases (Morel, 2000). TDR was therefore created with a core mission of fighting these diseases and has two specific goals: first, it seeks to identify and develop new tools and methods to control tropical diseases; and second, it seeks to develop research capacities in developing countries so that their investigators are able to establish their own research activities and contribute to the control of diseases that affect their countries. Because of its mission, TDR has always been involved in product research and development (RD Trouiller et al ., 2001). Of 1,450 new chemicals introduced to the global market, only 13 were specifically for treating neglected infectious diseases, and many of these substances came out of R&D for other disease indications, such as veterinary medicine and cancer. Through its work with industry, TDR was crucially involved in the development of about half of these new drugs. In this article, I highlight how TDR has worked effectively with industry over the past 27 years, identify several key achievements and indicate how future activities might develop in this area. > Of 1,450 new chemical entities introduced to the global market, only 13 were specifically for treating neglected infectious diseases TDR consists of four main functional areas: …