 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
PAN4ND
PAN4ND Sub-Meeting at Putrajaya, Malaysia - December 2006
PAN4ND Sub-Meeting at Putrajaya, Malaysia - December 2006
Natural Substances' Drug Discovery and
Development Meeting
Putrajaya, Malaysia 4th – 6th December 2006
This sub-meeting of PAN4ND was co-hosted by DNDi,
Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia
(Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) and the
Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Below is the press statement released during the meeting.
Scientific experts across Asia join forces in Putrajaya
to stimulate natural substances’ R&D
into new treatments for neglected diseases
Putrajaya, 4th December 2006 – Scientific experts from countries across the
Asia-Pacific region, and as far away as Panama, are being welcomed this week
by the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, along with the Institute for Pharmaceuticals
and Nutraceuticals Malaysia (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation)
and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The meeting brings
together natural substances’ researchers to learn about and to stimulate current
R&D efforts in the area of drug discovery and development while initiating a
regional platform focused on natural substances R&D to develop drugs for
neglected diseases.
“On the cusp of BioMalaysia 2006, this international meeting of the best
scientific minds will stimulate the collaboration of Asian researchers in the critical
search to develop natural substances as new drugs to fight neglected diseases,”
remarked Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, the Director-General of Health, Malaysia.
“Malaysia is no stranger to these burdensome diseases and is proud to be a
member of this regional partnership, so that we can share information and
expertise with fellow scientists from Asia and the rest of the world. Malaysia is
developing centers of excellence and fighting brain drain as it works to establish
as a regional leader in the field of drug R&D.”
New drugs and diagnostics are desperately needed: although neglected tropical
diseases and tuberculosis account for 12% of the global disease burden, only
1.3% (21 out of 1,556) of new drugs were developed for these diseases over the
past 30 years.1 With limited capacity for R&D in developing countries, a serious
lack of research of innovative medicines for this population has occurred. A
critical source for innovative medicines can be found in nature: historically, over
half of all new drugs (registered as new chemical entities) have been derived
from or inspired by natural products.2
“The most effective treatments for malaria and filariasis are both natural
products identified by laboratories in Asia. Artemisinin derivatives and ivermectin
serve as excellent examples as this platform works to identify new bioactive
molecules as potential treatments for other neglected diseases,” said Simon
Croft, R&D Director of DNDi. “DNDi recognizes that it is essential that we work
closely with scientific experts from endemic countries so that we are able to meet
our aim of developing new, field-adapted treatments that meet the specific needs
of neglected patients.”
At the three-day long conference, the Pan-Asian Network for Drugs for
Neglected Diseases from Natural Substances (PAND2) will convene to discuss
current R&D to identify new bioactive molecules from natural substances and
how best use standardized methodologies to generate and manage data that
could be employed to prepare an investigational new drug (IND). With members
including research institutions from seven countries, DNDi supports training of
members in various aspects of discovery R&D for neglected diseases, thus
building expertise in research for deadly diseases like visceral leishmaniasis,
also known as kala-azar, and human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping
sickness.
Isa Majid, Director Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia,
elaborated upon the critical role played by members of PAND2: “Developing
countries have the ability to provide new solutions for neglected diseases, but
every day we face an uphill battle to find home-grown capacity for research and
development into diseases that affect our poor. By working together in regional,
needs-driven research platforms such as PAND2, is one of the paths we are
taking to address this lack of capacity.”
For further information, or to arrange interviews with Dr Ismail Merican, Dr Simon
Croft , or other meeting participants, please contact Ann-Marie Sevcsik on +41
(0)79 814 9147 or amsevcsik@dndi.org
###
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is an independent, not-for-
profit drug development initiative established in 2003 by five publicly-funded
research organisations – Malaysian Ministry of Health, Kenya Medical Research
Institute, Indian Council of Medical Research, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Brazil,
and the Institut Pasteur – as well as an international humanitarian organisation,
Médecins Sans Frontières. The UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO’s Special
Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is a
permanent observer.
With a current portfolio of 22 projects, DNDi aims to develop new, improved, and
field-relevant drugs for neglected diseases, such as malaria, leishmaniasis,
human African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease that afflict the very poor in
developing countries. DNDi also raises awareness about the need for greater
R&D for neglected diseases and strengthens existing research capacity in
disease-endemic countries. For further information, please consult http://www.
dndi.org.
###
The Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia (IPNM) is one of
the newly established key institutes that will drive the three focus areas under
the National Biotechnology Policy. It acts as the focal centre for research and
development in biopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals in Malaysia.
###
The Pan-Asian Network for Drugs for Neglected Diseases from Natural
Substances currently involves collaborating centers in seven countries: Kitasato
Institute, Japan; CDRI, India; Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica China; in
Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang;
Institut Pasteur, Korea; Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases, Singapore; and
the Swiss Tropical Institute, Switzerland. The objective of PAND2 is to create a
climate suitable for collaborative research on potential drugs for neglected
diseases and to provide the partner institutions with information regarding
neglected diseases’ research, natural products, and biological screening.
###
References:
1. Chirac P, Torreele E. Lancet. 2006 May 12; 367: 1560-1561.
2. Newman, D.J. et al. Journal of Natural Products. 2003; 66: 1022-1037.
Development Meeting
Putrajaya, Malaysia 4th – 6th December 2006
This sub-meeting of PAN4ND was co-hosted by DNDi,
Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia
(Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) and the
Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Below is the press statement released during the meeting.
Scientific experts across Asia join forces in Putrajaya
to stimulate natural substances’ R&D
into new treatments for neglected diseases
Putrajaya, 4th December 2006 – Scientific experts from countries across the
Asia-Pacific region, and as far away as Panama, are being welcomed this week
by the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, along with the Institute for Pharmaceuticals
and Nutraceuticals Malaysia (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation)
and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The meeting brings
together natural substances’ researchers to learn about and to stimulate current
R&D efforts in the area of drug discovery and development while initiating a
regional platform focused on natural substances R&D to develop drugs for
neglected diseases.
“On the cusp of BioMalaysia 2006, this international meeting of the best
scientific minds will stimulate the collaboration of Asian researchers in the critical
search to develop natural substances as new drugs to fight neglected diseases,”
remarked Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, the Director-General of Health, Malaysia.
“Malaysia is no stranger to these burdensome diseases and is proud to be a
member of this regional partnership, so that we can share information and
expertise with fellow scientists from Asia and the rest of the world. Malaysia is
developing centers of excellence and fighting brain drain as it works to establish
as a regional leader in the field of drug R&D.”
New drugs and diagnostics are desperately needed: although neglected tropical
diseases and tuberculosis account for 12% of the global disease burden, only
1.3% (21 out of 1,556) of new drugs were developed for these diseases over the
past 30 years.1 With limited capacity for R&D in developing countries, a serious
lack of research of innovative medicines for this population has occurred. A
critical source for innovative medicines can be found in nature: historically, over
half of all new drugs (registered as new chemical entities) have been derived
from or inspired by natural products.2
“The most effective treatments for malaria and filariasis are both natural
products identified by laboratories in Asia. Artemisinin derivatives and ivermectin
serve as excellent examples as this platform works to identify new bioactive
molecules as potential treatments for other neglected diseases,” said Simon
Croft, R&D Director of DNDi. “DNDi recognizes that it is essential that we work
closely with scientific experts from endemic countries so that we are able to meet
our aim of developing new, field-adapted treatments that meet the specific needs
of neglected patients.”
At the three-day long conference, the Pan-Asian Network for Drugs for
Neglected Diseases from Natural Substances (PAND2) will convene to discuss
current R&D to identify new bioactive molecules from natural substances and
how best use standardized methodologies to generate and manage data that
could be employed to prepare an investigational new drug (IND). With members
including research institutions from seven countries, DNDi supports training of
members in various aspects of discovery R&D for neglected diseases, thus
building expertise in research for deadly diseases like visceral leishmaniasis,
also known as kala-azar, and human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping
sickness.
Isa Majid, Director Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia,
elaborated upon the critical role played by members of PAND2: “Developing
countries have the ability to provide new solutions for neglected diseases, but
every day we face an uphill battle to find home-grown capacity for research and
development into diseases that affect our poor. By working together in regional,
needs-driven research platforms such as PAND2, is one of the paths we are
taking to address this lack of capacity.”
For further information, or to arrange interviews with Dr Ismail Merican, Dr Simon
Croft , or other meeting participants, please contact Ann-Marie Sevcsik on +41
(0)79 814 9147 or amsevcsik@dndi.org
###
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is an independent, not-for-
profit drug development initiative established in 2003 by five publicly-funded
research organisations – Malaysian Ministry of Health, Kenya Medical Research
Institute, Indian Council of Medical Research, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Brazil,
and the Institut Pasteur – as well as an international humanitarian organisation,
Médecins Sans Frontières. The UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO’s Special
Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is a
permanent observer.
With a current portfolio of 22 projects, DNDi aims to develop new, improved, and
field-relevant drugs for neglected diseases, such as malaria, leishmaniasis,
human African trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease that afflict the very poor in
developing countries. DNDi also raises awareness about the need for greater
R&D for neglected diseases and strengthens existing research capacity in
disease-endemic countries. For further information, please consult http://www.
dndi.org.
###
The Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals Malaysia (IPNM) is one of
the newly established key institutes that will drive the three focus areas under
the National Biotechnology Policy. It acts as the focal centre for research and
development in biopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals in Malaysia.
###
The Pan-Asian Network for Drugs for Neglected Diseases from Natural
Substances currently involves collaborating centers in seven countries: Kitasato
Institute, Japan; CDRI, India; Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica China; in
Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang;
Institut Pasteur, Korea; Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases, Singapore; and
the Swiss Tropical Institute, Switzerland. The objective of PAND2 is to create a
climate suitable for collaborative research on potential drugs for neglected
diseases and to provide the partner institutions with information regarding
neglected diseases’ research, natural products, and biological screening.
###
References:
1. Chirac P, Torreele E. Lancet. 2006 May 12; 367: 1560-1561.
2. Newman, D.J. et al. Journal of Natural Products. 2003; 66: 1022-1037.
| P A N 4 N D |
| For member institutions, view meeting materials. |
| Participants of the meeting in Putrajaya joined by a representative of the Malaysian Ministry of Health. |
