Thierry Diagana, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

Drug Discovery at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

The Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) is an independent research institute within NIBR that applies drug-discovery expertise to combat infectious tropical diseases. NITD is currently focused on parasitic pathogens, including malaria, cryptosporidiosis, and three major kinetoplastid diseases – human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis. NITD scientists collaborate with academic and non-profit partners, including the Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medicines for Malaria Venture, and the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute. NITD and collaborators have discovered two novel classes of antimalarials, which are currently in phase II clinical trials. One of these compounds, KAF156, has the potential to be a game-changer in malaria elimination. This presentation will provide an overview of NITD’s accomplishments in the discovery and development of novel therapies to treat and prevent neglected tropical diseases.