Congress on - Medicinal Chemistry in parasitology: new avenues in drug discovery-organised in Modena in 2007.

WG3 Meeting on Medicinal Chemistry in Modena, Italy 19-20 February, 2007The environment and tools for R&D for neglected infectious diseases are changing. There is political attention now given not only to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, but also to other, less known diseases with a lower overall burden; here is more money and new funding agencies; and new mechanisms, including a bewildering array of public-private partnerships (PPPs). However, the R&D pipeline varies considerably for the various diseases, and remains hugely inadequate for the most neglected diseases like the different forms of leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis, and helminthic diseases. Here, discovering lead compounds with the potential to become usable drugs is a critical step to ensuring a sustainable pipeline for innovative products. We will discuss different approaches to drug discovery and emphasize an integrated strategy that involves networks and partnerships between academia, industry in the developed and developing countries. Specific examples will be drawn from the work of TDR covering multiple diseases and those of other organizations.