redeLEISH Network

Platform updates

2023

6 active clinical sites in Brazil, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia.
2 ongoing clinical trials led by redeLEISH member institutions.
8 publications and 7 events shared via the redeLEISH web forum.
Obtained further support for the redeLEISH manifesto calling for urgent action to develop more effective, user-friendly, point-of-care diagnostic tools.

8 active clinical sites in Brazil, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia.
18 people trained for clinical trials.
2 ongoing clinical trials led by redeLEISH member institutions.
Participated in the 7th World Congress on Leishmaniasis (WorldLeish7) held in Cartagena, Colombia in August 2022.
Developed redeLEISH manifesto calling for urgent innovation for user-friendly, point-of-care rapid diagnostic tools for Chagas disease, obtaining signatures from 36 representatives from 18 institutions, with a further 651 online signatures obtained via social networks and participation in regional scientific conferences following the launch of the manifesto at WorldLeish7.
Participated in MedTrop Congress in Brazil in November 2022, and XVII Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Congress held in Colombia in November and December 2022.
Presented the results of a data-sharing project to collect information on the efficacy of routine CL treatment for children 10 years old and younger, implemented with the support of WHO-TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, at WorldLeish7.

7 active clinical sites in Brazil, Panama, and Peru.
32 people trained for clinical trials.
2 ongoing clinical trials led by redeLEISH member institutions.
Completed a data-sharing project to collect information on the efficacy of routine CL treatment for children 10 years old and younger, implemented with the support of WHO-TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, to provide evidence and recommendations for national leishmaniasis programmes. 10 institutions from 4 countries (Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru) participated in the project, and the results were shared with PAHO.
Conducted a systematic review of therapeutic response and relapse rates in patients treated for CL to obtain consensus on timelines for efficacy assessments in clinical trials.
Held 5 virtual focus groups with experts and key stakeholders to understand perspectives on the usefulness, benefits, barriers, and acceptability of thermotherapy for CL treatment.

8 active clinical sites.
1 clinical trial managed by member institutions.
Completed data collection on the efficacy of routine CL treatment for children 10 years old and younger, implemented with the support of WHO-TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, to provide evidence and recommendations for national leishmaniasis programmes. 10 institutions from 4 countries (Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru) participated in the project.
Although physical meetings, trainings, and clinical trials were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 19 scientific publications, 4 events, 2 courses, and 5 discussions were shared on the redeLEISH web forum.

Data-sharing project, with support of WHO-TDR, to collect information on routine CL treatment efficacy in children up to 10 years of age and elderly people in order to provide evidence and make recommendations to the national leishmaniasis programmes of Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru for case management
Facilitated the development of consensus among investigators to reduce the follow-up time to assess treatment efficacy for CL patients included in clinical trials, from 180 days to 90 days
Preparation of a Phase III CL clinical trial in five sites in Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, and Peru
Collaborative project of four RedeLEISH sites in Brazil to conduct a clinical trial to assess efficacy and safety of a drug combination for mucosal leishmaniasis

62 people trained in Good Clinical Practice at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, in collaboration with DNDi, and 30 on leishmaniasis in a multicountry training.
Conducted clinical trial to assess efficacy and safety of a drug combination for mucosal leishmaniasis
Supported the creation of the first association of leishmaniasis patients in Brazil (ABRAPLEISH)
Supported the third edition of the ‘Brazilian Patients Forum against Infectious and Neglected Diseases’ during the 54th Brazilian Congress of Tropical Medicine (MedTrop).
With WHO/TDR, supported harmonization of criteria for cutaneous leishmaniasis clinical trials and conducted a systematic review to assess therapeutic response and relapse rates.

Launch of a manifesto, signed by 143 investigators and civil society representatives, for mucocutaneous leishmaniasis to raise the awareness of the scientific community and policy makers of the urgent need for more research for this very neglected form of leishmaniasis.
Co-organization of the ‘Brazilian Patients Forum against Infectious and Neglected Diseases’ during the 53rd Brazilian Congress of Tropical Medicine (MedTrop).
In coordination with TDR/WHO, supported efforts on the harmonization of criteria for clinical trials in cutaneous leishmaniasis and conducted a systematic review to assess therapeutic response and relapse rates.

Completion of a collaborative research project of species identification conducted in Pará, Mato Grosso, and Acre (Brazil), and preliminary results presented during annual meeting.
INFOLEISH, the network’s first newsletter was launched in May

Originally created as a Brazilian network of investigators, in 2015, redeLEISH was extended to include reference centres and experts from other Latin American countries.
The second meeting was held in Medellin, Colombia, with the collaboration of PECET (Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases/ University of Antioquia), and Ruta N Medellin. This meeting had more than 65 representatives from 35 institutions, among them 17 reference centers from 8 countries (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela, Bolivia and Mexico), representatives of PAHO, TDR/WHO, FIOCRUZ, and of the Colombian and Brazilian Ministries of Health to identify the capacity of clinical research in Latin America and to consolidate the framework of collaborative projects. Furthermore, the agenda included a discussion towards the target product profile of a rapid diagnostic test for CL.
A Webforum was created, to act as a virtual platform that could serve as a real space to share experiences in leishmaniasis.