DNDi and our partners are working to tackle the urgent need for treatments that can prevent progression to severe disease. Collaborating with leading public health institutes in the Dengue Alliance, our goal is to accelerate innovation to deliver an affordable and accessible dengue treatment solution, complete our assessment of the burden of dengue in Africa, and identify biomarkers that can accurately predict progression to severe disease.

Our progress in 2023 includes:

Translation

Pre-clinical profiling: Dengue Alliance partners continued in vitro evaluation of existing direct-acting antiviral (DAA) compounds, with prioritized compounds advancing in in vivo testing in India and Brazil. Partners also initiated pre-clinical evaluation of existing host-directed therapies (HDTs), including a compound identified by BenevolentAI’s artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery platform that has been found to inhibit increases in endothelial cell permeability in vitro. With the nomination of DAA and HDT candidates expected in 2024, DNDi and partners also advanced preparations for clinical studies, including finalization of study endpoints, selection of study population, and discussions with potential industry partners on integrating novel DAAs and HDTs alongside repurposing candidates.

Implementation

Dengue seroprevalence in Africa and the impact of new control interventions on the global burden: Laboratory analyses were completed in December for DNDi and partners’ retrospective dengue seroprevalence study in Senegal, Ghana, and the DRC, which uses a novel methodological approach to quantify population exposure to dengue and its transmission intensity. Study findings and a review of scientific literature from 2014-2023 will be utilized to develop updated estimates of the global burden of dengue, which in turn will be used to model the impact of dengue control strategies.

Photo credit: Luke Duggleby-DNDi