The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) extends its deepest condolences to the family of Jacques Pinel, who passed away on 14 August 2015.
As a pharmacist, Jacques Pinel was a pillar for Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF) since 1979. He was instrumental in setting up, rationalizing, and implementing all logistics, pharmacy, and medicines policy (including guidelines and emergency kits to name but a few) of MSF and beyond. In 1996, he led the movement of what was to become later the MSF Access Campaign. He later became a key member of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases working group, the precursor to DNDi. Indeed, he was staunch supporter of the creation of DNDi, advocating tirelessly within and outside of MSF. He has been an excellent advisor of the FACT project, which developed two fixed dose combinations of antimalarials. In his advisory role for FACT, Jacques can be accredited with the vital aspect of the patient-friendly packaging of ASAQ.
‘Without Jacques, DNDi would not be what it is today. As a friend and mentor, he will be sorely missed.’
– Bernard Pécoul