Charity launches not-for-profit drug industry

Monday, 13 February 2012

Charity launches not-for-profit drug industry

Declan Butler

Source: Nature

4 April 2002 | EN

Médicins sans Frontières is to address the lack of available treatments for many diseases that afflict the world’s poor by launching an ambitious international effort to create a virtual industry driven by public needs rather than share price.

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI) — which was formally launched in New York last month — will research, develop and produce drugs for diseases that have been ‘neglected’ because they affect mainly people in the developing world, and so have poor commercial prospects.

The Paris-based charity has put up an initial US$1 million for five pilot projects to develop and produce drugs for the parasitic diseases visceral leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. More funding will later be sought from foundations and governments.

Link to full text

Reference: Nature 416, 465 (2002)

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