DNDi North America

DNDi North America

Established in 2007, the affiliate of DNDi in North America supports the advocacy, communications, fundraising, and R&D efforts of DNDi in the region. Based in New York City, USA, this affiliate operates under the direction of the DNDi North America Board of Directors and collaborates with key partners engaged in a variety of R&D activities.
dndina.org

DNDi North America

40 Rector Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10006
USA

Tel: +1 646 215 7076
dndina.org

Highlights

2019

  • R&D and access: Prepared access plan for ‘4-in-1’ for kids with HIV; supported Chagas stakeholders (University of Florida, the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease in Los Angeles, a working expert group on screening and diagnosis for US Chagas patients, and others)
  • Partnerships: Concluded new agreements with Celgene (now part of Bristol-Myers Squibb) for early filaria development activities, and with Janssen for research into new pre-clinical candidates for Chagas disease
  • Advocacy: Put paediatric HIV in the spotlight, with front-page New York Times World AIDS Day article; stressed the need for R&D in UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage

2018

  • Raised more than USD 1 million in private support for DNDi programmes globally, including:
    • The “Making Medical History Gala” in New York City, organized in celebration of DNDi’s 15-year anniversary, which raised nearly USD 500,000 with more than 180 supporters, partners, and celebrities attending, including actress Sharon Stone, philanthropist and sport star Dikembe Mutombo, and Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the US National Institutes of Health;
    • The Stavros Niarchos Foundation awarded DNDi a USD 500,000 grant to support the sleeping sickness programme.
  • Continued its collaboration with the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease (CECD) in Los Angeles, publishing several joint articles describing barriers to access and models of care for people with Chagas.
  • Supported DNDi’s global efforts to increase access to diagnosis and treatment, particularly in the Americas.
  • Supported significant coverage of the approval of fexinidazole to treat human African trypanosomiasis in US-based media, including the New York Times, National Public Radio, and Science Magazine, in addition to coverage around the world.
  • Filed a submission to the Standing Committee on Health at the Canadian House of Commons on innovative methods for R&D in response to a study on federally-funded health research.
  • Delivered a statement at the UN Member State Briefing on Promoting Innovation and Access to Health Technologies.

2017

  • Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Chemo Group’s (now InSud Pharma) benznidazole for children with Chagas disease in close collaboration with Exeltis, Mundo Sano, and DNDi
  • A DNDi-supported survey of almost 5,000 Latin American-born residents of Los Angeles County found that 24% tested positive for Chagas disease
  • Advocacy at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York and continued support for global health R&D in Washington, DC in a changing political environment
  • A campaign to raise funds for African sleeping sickness secures over USD 500,000 in new private contributions that will help put the disease on the path to sustainable elimination

2016

  • United Nations High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines issues a report that calls for new approaches to ensure innovation and access to health technologies.
  • UN Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance highlights the need to improve access to existing medical tools, as well as the need to develop new products that are affordable and appropriately available to all who need them.
  • Huffington Post “Project Zero” campaign launches to raise awareness of NTDs and crowdfund for DNDi’s sleeping sickness programme.
  • US Chagas Treatment Access Project launches to support Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center in Los Angeles.
  • Biopharmaceutical company Celgene becomes the first US-based partner to join DNDi’s Drug Discovery Booster.
  • Publication of feature piece on DNDi’s model in Nature magazine by science journalist Amy Maxmen.
  • Open Synthesis Network launches with two US universities – Northeastern and Pace – to engage students in NTD drug discovery.