Institut Pasteur Korea (IP-K) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) have entered into a Collaborative Agreement for the identification and development of safe, effective and affordable new treatments for patients suffering from neglected communicable diseases.

The resulting partnership would combine IPK’s expertise in high throughput and high content visual screening approaches for the acceleration of drug discovery with DNDi’s vision to improve the quality of life and the health of people suffering from neglected diseases by using an alternative model to develop drugs for these diseases. Together, with funding from DNDi, new drugs can be made available to individuals of all social backgrounds.

In addition, it has been decided that the first Research Project Agreement to fall under this Collaborative Agreement will focus on Chagas disease. This devastating disease currently affects 18 million people world-wide with an additional 120 million at risk of contracting it. Together, IPK and DNDi, will search for new and affordable therapies that target Trypansoma cruzi, the causative parasite of this disease. Lucio Freitas Junior, Group Leader of System Biology of Pathogens will lead the projects.

Bernard Pecoul, Executive Director of DNDi said, “By joining forces with IPK, two parties will combine interests and capabilities for the eradication of neglected diseases from the world ”

Ulf Nehrbass, Director of Institut Pasteur Korea said, “We will make our efforts in contributing to the world healthcare improvement and the acceleration of the Neglected Disease drug discovery by taking fully advantage of our innovative R&D technologies and the close collaboration with DNDi” He added, "As a leader in biotech, IPK will put more focus on attracting foreign projects by enhancing the global reputation in the visualizing disease technology"

Historically, in April of 2008, IPK and DNDi entered into a Research Agreement for the identification and development of drugs against Leishmaniasis. A new assay was developed, compounds screened and hits are currently being identified and validated. The proven success of this joint research effort has prompted both parties to undertake a more committed and long standing relationship.

Leishmaniasis, Chagas Disease, Malaria and African Trypanosomiasis are examples of neglected infectious diseases responsible for 500,000 to 1 million deaths each year. Currently, available drugs are mostly ineffective due to resistance in the causative parasites, and in some cases the drugs are potentially deadly for patients. This staggering situation is simply unacceptable and, in an interconnected world, diseases are no longer an isolated phenomena but a collective responsibility.

Photo Description: Bernard Pecoul, Executive Director of DNDi(2nd from Left Side) and Ulf Nehrbass, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea (1st from Left side) signed Collaboration Agreement and the first Research Project Agreement to fall under this Collaboration Agreement; a joint screening campaign on Chagas disease

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About Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
DNDi, (Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative) is a not-for-profit organization who desires to fund research for the development of safe, effective and affordable new treatments for patients suffering from neglected communicable diseases and to ensure equitable access of these new treatments to people of all social backgrounds.

About Institut Pasteur Korea
Institut Pasteur Korea is a non-profit organization based in South Korea. It was founded in April, 2004 with the strategic focus of enabling technologies and therapeutic development in disease models pertaining to public health. For additional information please visit http://www.ip-korea.org.