Novartis, Gates Foundation Ink Pact to Develop Infectious Diarrhoea Drug
Novartis and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have now jumped on-board to development of Novartis’ drug candidate KDU731 for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis.
Diarrheal diseases are one of the leading causes of childhood mortality globally, resulting in approximately 525,000 deaths each year and cryptosporidiosis is the second leading cause of infectious diarrhea in children under 2 years of age. And Cryptosporidiosis is the second leading cause of infectious diarrhea in children.
Under the deal, the Gates Foundation will provide $6.5 million in funding to further develop KDU731, a preclinical drug candidate currently being tested for safety in preparation for clinical trials. Novartis’ KDU731 is a cryptosporidium lipid kinase PI(4)K (phosphatidylinositol-4-OH kinase) inhibitor, which has been shown to effectively treat cryptosporidium infection in preclinical models.
NITD head Thierry Diagana said: “We are committed to the fight against cryptosporidiosis and other infectious and neglected tropical diseases and are proud to work closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners in this effort.
“Today’s global health issues cannot be solved by one organisation alone. Private companies, governments, non-governmental organisations, academia, and other stakeholders need to work together to create sustainable solutions.”
