The Future of Drug Development for Neglected Tropical Diseases: How the European Commission Can Continue to Make a Difference

Raymond J Pierce,Jane Macdougall,Rob Leurs,Maria Paola Costi

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2017.04.007

Abstract

In this article, the four coordinators of neglected tropical disease (NTD) drug development projects funded under the European Commission (EC) Framework Programme 7 argue that the EC should reassess their funding strategy to cover the steps necessary to translate a lead compound into a drug candidate for testing in clinical trials, and suggest ways in which this might be achieved.

Highlights

Dobrowolski, J.M. et al (1997) Actin in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is encoded by a single copy gene, ACT1, and exists primarily in a globular form
J. et al (2017) Toxoplasma gondii F-actin forms an extensive filamentous network required for material exchange and parasite maturation
The four coordinators of neglected tropical disease (NTD) drug development projects funded under the European Commission (EC) Framework Programme 7 argue that the EC should reassess their funding strategy to cover the steps necessary to translate a lead compound into a drug candidate for testing in clinical trials, and suggest ways in which this might be achieved

Summary

Introduction

The four coordinators of neglected tropical disease (NTD) drug development projects funded under the European Commission (EC) Framework Programme 7 argue that the EC should reassess their funding strategy to cover the steps necessary to translate a lead compound into a drug candidate for testing in clinical trials, and suggest ways in which this might be achieved. EC Funding of NTD Drug Development The EC has consistently and substantially supported research into NTDs, starting well before the London Declaration of 2012 (http://unitingtocombatntds.org/ resource/london-declaration), which put the control or elimination of NTDs at the forefront of global efforts to ‘chart a new course toward health and sustainability among the world’s poorest communities to a stronger, healthier future’.

Results

Conclusion