Three ways the pharmaceutical sector can support the new Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases

This week in Kigali, Rwanda, heads of state and government, as well as business and civil society leaders are convening at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting with the aim of improving cooperation to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a focal point of the meeting. This group of more than 20 health conditions impact roughly one in five people globally every year, with affected communities largely in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO recognizes NTDs as both a global health and global economic challenge because they cause disability and cognitive impairment, trapping millions of families in poverty.

The gathering marks a key moment for global health equity as the new Kigali Declaration catalyzes action to end one of the planet’s most critical health and economic development challenges. Pharmaceutical companies have a key role to play.

Here are three ways our industry can transform the fight against these diseases:

1. Increase investment in scientific research and development

Progress against NTDs is stymied by a lack of research and development. According to the 2021 G-Finder report, global investment in R&D for NTDs declined in each of the last four years.

Perhaps most critically, investment in NTD research often halts after discovery. New efforts are needed to advance drug candidates identified through discovery into clinical trials. To do our part, Novartis is committing USD 250 million over five years to research and develop novel treatments and cures for NTDs and malaria. Our vision is to create therapies that can be part of improved disease control and elimination programs for Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, dengue, cryptosporidiosis and malaria. These investments will assess novel agents with the goal of advancing some beyond proof-of-concept stage, so we can evaluate them in clinical trials and bring novel therapeutics to market.

2. Improve understanding of the basic biology of disease pathogens

Advancing basic scientific research is key to improving our knowledge of how pathogens function and interact with the human body to cause disease. There’s a lot we still don’t understand about the pathogens that cause neglected tropical diseases.

New gene editing technologies such as CRISPR are rapidly expanding our ability to grasp the complexity and unique biology of NTDs at the cellular, genetic, and molecular levels. Armed with better knowledge of their basic biology, pharmaceutical companies can discover therapeutics that target pathogens’ pathways, which are crucial for their survival within the host.

3. Strengthen partnerships to advance therapeutic pipelines and ensure access to treatments

We need stronger partnerships that bring together key players from the pharmaceutical industry, biotech, academia, and public sector agencies to drive a robust and sustainable R&D agenda. Because there is a limited commercial market for NTDs, much of the research is conducted at academic centers and institutions. It’s therefore imperative that we forge deeper collaborations between industry and academia, mobilizing our industry’s resources and technical knowledge to identify novel mechanisms of action and drug targets.

The Kigali Declaration represents a high-level commitment to global health equity. Pharmaceutical companies have a unique and indispensable role to play in fulfilling that commitment. By developing new medicines, advancing scientific understanding of disease-causing pathogens, and increasing access to treatments, we can help turn the tide against NTDs.