1 million donation provides five years of operation

This is which could give a projector on a still too ignored field, the so-called tropical diseases, precisely, neglected. These countless diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness, the lechmaniose or Chagas disease affects several million people in the poorest countries, such as in black Africa, Asia or Latin America.

The Public Library of Science (PLoS) will publish during 2007 a new scientific online review devoted to neglected tropical diseases, in collaboration with au gratin of research in this area. And a donation of some $ 1.1 million awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This contribution is part of an overall donation of nearly $ 70 million from the Foundation to assist in the development of vaccines and drugs for tropical diseases.

Pay to be published

It is "to draw attention to these diseases, which have an impact on the health of the populations of the poorest countries, and therefore on their economy." "But the pharmaceutical industry spent too little in research and development budget", emphasizes Peter Hotez, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and tropical diseases of the George Washington University, and editor in Chief of "plos neglected Tropical diseases" (plosntds). The collective of scientists PLoS also intends to make available to all State of the latest research on this sector. "The laboratories or universities in developing countries most affected by these diseases do not have the means to subscribe to journals such as"Nature".". "The free distribution of PLoS on the Internet will allow them access," says Gavin Yamey, editor, "plos ntds". In fact, since 2003, PLoS is established as editor not for profit, with a particular economic model. His journals are open access, but for there be published, a researcher or a laboratory must pay a lump sum, once the article accepted by the Editorial Committee. To ensure a good representation, "half of the Editorial Board of"plos ntds"will include researchers from developing countries," said Peter Hotez. The Bill Gates Foundation $ 1.1 million donation provides five years of operation.

In fact, its foundation has already contributed to the launch of a similar initiative Portal Hinari (Health Interwork Access to Research Initiative), created by the World Health (who) in 2000, to provide access to developing countries to the biomedical literature and health articles. Today, more than smics titles are available to institutions in 113 countries, and free of charge for the poor.

In any case, this new variation of PLoS dedicated to tropical diseases aims to stimulate research in this area. That have long ignored the pharmaceutical laboratories, focusing on their R & D on diseases affecting Western countries, such as cardiovascular disease.

New drugs

At the time, several Anglo-Saxon research institutes on tropical diseases have launched this year a global network for neglected tropical diseases (gnntdc) control, which aims to develop research in these areas. Because tropical diseases and tuberculosis represent "12 of the disease, but only 1.3 of the new drugs developed between 1975 and 2004", pinning the DNDI (Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative). This humanitarian association, brings together research including the Institut Pasteur Institutes, just aims to accelerate the development of new drugs, through partnerships. "We want to seize opportunities, new or already existing molecules, or research that would have drafted pharmaceutical laboratories in the 1980s," said Els Torreele, head of project in the R & D team and DNDi. Then, DNDi negotiates the opportunity to exploit these drafts of research at lesser expense. Their most advanced project is available in 2007 for treatment of malaria, which will cost less than $ 1 per adult. With industrial partner, Sanofi Aventis, "which will ensure the production and distribution, and thus to the market at cost." "Sanofi-Aventis will take charge of the registration of this drug, and accepted a non-exclusive license," she continues. Which will allow other laboratories, including generic drugs, to produce.