In search of new medicines for neglected diseases and malaria, researchers from Unicamp (State University of Campinas) and USP (University of São Paulo) will bring together a team of scientists in a global collaboration network co-financed by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Survey of the State of São Paulo), DNDi (initiative Medicines for Neglected Diseases) and MMV (Medicines for Malaria Venture).
The international consortium, supported within the scope of FAPESP's Research Support Program in Partnership for Technological Innovation (PITE), will receive investments of R$43,5 million over five years. Investments will be made by the Foundation (R$7,8 million), DNDi and MMV (R$12,8 million) and Unicamp and USP (R$22,9 million, in research infrastructure and personnel costs).
The agreement will be signed on the 28th in a ceremony to be held at FAPESP headquarters ( see here).
Created in collaboration with Unicamp and USP, the consortium will aim to identify pre-clinical candidates with a chance of becoming new compounds for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and malaria.
The objective of the project with MMV is to identify a new molecule for the treatment of malaria that can quickly kill the parasite without leaving it susceptible to developing resistance to the drug. Ideally, this new molecule should have the potential to be developed, in combination, with the goal of creating single-dose radical cure and prophylaxis and/or a single-dose chemoprotection drug, which would help eliminate malaria in countries such as Brazil and, eventually, throughout the world.
Already with DNDi The objective is to deliver a high-quality compound, optimized and ready for clinical development, for the treatment of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. The aim is, therefore, to follow the target product profiles developed by DNDi and its partners to ensure the delivery of a compound that meets patients' needs.
“The collaboration between Unicamp and USP with MMV and DNDi, while bringing to São Paulo the research challenge of discovering molecules that are good clinical candidates in the fight against neglected diseases and malaria, also opens up access to the collection of partner organizations and their experience in analyzing such molecules. In this way, it combines research at the frontier of knowledge and connected to applications of enormous social relevance with the training of researchers, important objectives for the state of São Paulo”, said Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, scientific director of FAPESP, about the partnership.
Neglected diseases and malaria affect billions of people around the world, especially in areas of extreme vulnerability. The few medications that exist to treat them are expensive, ineffective or have undesirable side effects. The idea of the project is, therefore, to stimulate the development of capabilities for research into new drugs in Brazil through the exchange of best knowledge practices.
"MMV is committed to discovering medicines that will enable malaria-endemic countries like Brazil to eliminate the disease within their borders and support global eradication," said Dr. Timothy Wells, MMV's chief scientific officer. "We are very pleased to be able to draw on the expertise of Brazilian scientists from Unicamp and USP and combine them with MMV's expertise in malaria to develop antimalarial medicines for the population of Brazil and other countries."
“The great difference of this consortium is the creation of an international, multidisciplinary, self-sustainable network designed based on the needs of the populations of endemic countries. This is a joint effort for the same purpose: to obtain safe and effective treatments for Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and malaria", explains Jadel Müller Kratz, Research & Development manager at DNDi.
The partnership will also support the training of future generations of specialists in the treatment of neglected diseases at UNICAMP and USP, while also bringing new job opportunities and investments in infrastructure at these institutions.
Luiz Carlos Dias, professor at the Unicamp Chemistry Institute, is responsible for the general coordination of the project.
"The consortium will go beyond international borders and lead to the consolidation of a global partnership model that contributes to innovation, the advancement of knowledge in the area of discovering new medicines for tropical parasitic diseases, the acceleration of research timelines and the sharing of data ", said Dias.
the diseases
Malaria, one of the diseases covered by the consortium, is caused by parasites from the family Plasmodium and is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. In 2018, around 200 cases of malaria were reported in Brazil, according to the Ministry of Health's epidemiological bulletin. In 2017, the number of people affected increased by 53% compared to the previous year.
Endemic in 21 countries in Latin America, Chagas disease is the parasitic disease that kills the most in the region, according to data from DNDi. In total, 70 million people are at risk worldwide and the number of patients in non-endemic countries, such as the United States and Australia, is growing.
Caused by the protozoan Leishmania spp. and transmitted by numerous species of sandfly, visceral leishmaniasis is a chronic zoonosis that can be lethal if not properly treated. Of the cases registered in Latin America, around 90% occur in Brazil.
About FAPESP
The São Paulo State Research Support Foundation is one of the main funding agencies for scientific and technological research in the country. With autonomy guaranteed by law, FAPESP is linked to the Secretariat for Economic Development. With an annual budget corresponding to 1% of the State's total tax revenue, FAPESP supports research and finances investigation, exchange and dissemination of science and technology produced in São Paulo.
About MMV
MMV was founded 20 years ago and is one of the leading productive development partnerships (PDPs) in antimalarial research. Its mission is to reduce the burden of malaria in countries where the disease is endemic by discovering, developing and delivering new effective and affordable medicines. Since its founding, MMV and its partners have developed and made available 11 new medicines that are estimated to have saved approximately 2,2 million lives.
About DNDi
A initiative Medicines for Neglected Diseases (DND i, its acronym in English) is a non-profit, patient-driven research and development (R&D) organization that develops safe, effective and affordable treatments for millions of vulnerable people who are affected by neglected diseases, in particular Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, pediatric HIV, hepatitis C, filariasis and mycetoma.
