Meeting DNDi

HTech4Dev was recently approached by the Drugs for Neglected Disease Initiative (DNDi) a non-profit product-development partnership. DNDi aims at improving the quality of life and the health of people suffering from neglected diseases by working in partnership with private industry, public institutions, academia and NGOs. DNDi is seeking new treatments and new diagnostics for the Onchocerciasis disease (also known as river blindness), a human filarial infection caused by a nodule-dwelling filarial nematode. The question DNDi addressed to HTech4Dev relates to the availability of a cheap and robust technology able to facilitate disease diagnostic, and to assess the effect of novel drug candidates. Through HTech4Dev, contact has been initiated between DNDI, several technology providers and several field experts in France and in Cameroon, the country where the only relevant animal model is maintained. A meeting will be soon organized in Aviesan’s premises to coordinate this work and to identify adequate financing.