PAN4ND Platform

The objective of PAN4ND, which officially convened its first network meeting in Tokyo in May 2006, is to create a climate suitable for collaborative research on the identification of novel molecules that could be used as for neglected diseases. In its inaugural year, PAN4ND convened two network meetings to discuss current R&D to identify new bioactive molecules from natural substances and how best use standardized methodologies to generate and manage data that could be employed to prepare an investigational new drug. With members including research institutions from seven countries, PAN4ND also held a network training session in collaboration with the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI).

By encouraging research collaboration between member institutes, PAN4ND seeks to maximize the potential for discovery of hits and leads from natural products for development as drugs for neglected diseases and will do so by:

• Linking natural products’ researchers and institutes as a collaborative network;
• Incorporating neglected diseases as part of our drug candidate screening programs;
• Standardizing screening methodologies against parasitic targets and other pathogens within the network. Activities include an annual meeting, training workshops, development of a training manual, website, and a network newsletter.

To learn more about PAN4ND, visit: www.pan4nd.org