Screening leishmaniasis
Deliver a robust portfolio of drug discovery hit and lead series for leishmaniasis
current phase of drug development




updated 1 Mar 2022
To identify new hit series that could be progressed and become new drug candidates for visceral leishmaniasis, DNDi tests chemical compounds for in vitro activity against L. donovani. Collections of natural and synthetic compounds are typically accessed through partners and commercial suppliers, and high-throughput screening is conducted in collaboration with University of Dundee and Institut Pasteur Korea.
In 2015, to complement bilateral collaborations for screening and lead optimization, DNDi launched the NTD Drug Discovery Booster with several major pharmaceutical companies.
Project updates
2021
With a robust portfolio of new chemical entities for leishmaniasis advancing to clinical trials, DNDi decided to progressively decrease leishmaniasis screening efforts in early 2021 to enable a greater emphasis on Chagas disease screening. However, screening of a limited number of natural product collections has been completed or is ongoing. A new, fully funded collaboration with University of Tokyo to establish screening capacity for leishmaniasis in Japan has also been initiated. The discovery team will continue to evaluate the potential benefit of new screening or discovery opportunities related to leishmaniasis.
2020
Several new collections originating from pharmaceutical and research partners were identified, contractually and physically accessed, and screened. Discussions continued with various pharmaceutical companies, not-for-profit organisations, and other entities to obtain access to new collections to keep building our screening pipeline. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the activities of almost all our screening partners from mid-March 2020 through the end of the year.
2019
DNDi has identified a variety of novel hit series via the screening of new compound libraries to continuously feed the early discovery pipeline for leishmaniasis. Those new starting points originate from both natural product and synthetic compound collections, either accessed through partnerships, acquired via purchase, or obtained as in-kind contributions to DNDi.
2018
Several new starting points are currently being followed up in hit profiling, annotation, and hit-to-lead programmes. The screening effort will continue, with the aim of delivering further drug candidates to mitigate the risks of attrition and increase the chance of developing a new drug.
2017
More than 20 novel series were identified in 2017 and are now being progressed.
- AbbVie
- ,USA
- AstraZeneca
- ,Sweden
- Bayer AG
- ,Germany
- BioAscent
- ,UK
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- ,Germany
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio)
- ,Brazil
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- ,USA
- Broad Institute, M.I.T and Harvard
- ,USA
- Celgene Corporation (now Bristol-Myers Squibb)
- ,USA
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM)
- ,Brazil
- Daiichi Sankyo
- ,Japan
- Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd.,
- ,Japan
- DeepMind
- ,UK
- E.I du Pont de Nemours
- ,USA
- Eisai Co., Ltd.
- ,Japan
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – Spain
- ,Spain
- Griffith University, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD)
- ,Australia
- Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK)
- ,Republic of Korea
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry
- ,Japan
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health
- ,Spain
- Johnson & Johnson
- ,USA
- Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences
- ,Japan
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)
- ,Switzerland
- Merck
- ,USA
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
- ,Japan
- Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research
- ,UK
- Pfizer Inc. (formerly Anacor Pharmaceuticals)
- ,USA
- Sanofi
- ,France
- Sanofi Merial (now Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit)
- ,USA
- Sequella Inc.
- ,USA
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
- ,Japan
- TB Alliance
- ,USA
- The University of Tokyo
- ,Japan
- University of Antwerp, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hygiene (LMPH)
- ,Belgium
- University of Cape Town (UCT)
- ,South Africa
- University of Dundee, Drug Discovery Unit
- ,UK
- Walter Reed Army Institute
- ,USA
- WHO-TDR, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases
- ,Switzerland
- Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health)
- ,USA
- AbbVie, USA
- AstraZeneca, Sweden
- Bayer AG, Germany
- BioAscent, UK
- Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazil
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, USA
- Broad Institute, M.I.T and Harvard, USA
- Celgene Corporation (now Bristol-Myers Squibb), USA
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Brazil
- Daiichi Sankyo, Japan
- Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd.,, Japan
- DeepMind, UK
- E.I du Pont de Nemours, USA
- Eisai Co., Ltd., Japan
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – Spain, Spain
- Griffith University, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), Australia
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Spain
- Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK), Republic of Korea
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Japan
- Johnson & Johnson, USA
- Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Japan
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Switzerland
- Merck, USA
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Japan
- Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research, UK
- Pfizer Inc. (formerly Anacor Pharmaceuticals), USA
- Sanofi, France
- Sanofi Merial (now Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit), USA
- Sequella Inc., USA
- TB Alliance, USA
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Japan
- The University of Tokyo, Japan
- University of Antwerp, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hygiene (LMPH), Belgium
- University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa
- University of Dundee, Drug Discovery Unit, UK
- WHO-TDR, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, Switzerland
- Walter Reed Army Institute, USA
- Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), USA
- AbbVie, USA
- AstraZeneca, Sweden
- Bayer AG, Germany
- BioAscent, UK
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, USA
- Broad Institute, M.I.T and Harvard, USA
- Celgene Corporation (now Bristol-Myers Squibb), USA
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Brazil
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazil
- Daiichi Sankyo, Japan
- Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd.,, Japan
- University of Dundee, Drug Discovery Unit, UK
- E.I du Pont de Nemours, USA
- Eisai Co., Ltd., Japan
- Griffith University, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD), Australia
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – Spain, Spain
- Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK), Republic of Korea
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Japan
- Johnson & Johnson, USA
- Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Japan
- University of Antwerp, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hygiene (LMPH), Belgium
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Switzerland
- Merck, USA
- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Japan
- Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research, UK
- Pfizer Inc. (formerly Anacor Pharmaceuticals), USA
- Sanofi, France
- Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany
- Sanofi Merial (now Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit), USA
- WHO-TDR, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, Switzerland
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Japan
- TB Alliance, USA
- Sequella Inc., USA
- University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa
- Walter Reed Army Institute, USA
- Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), USA
- The University of Tokyo, Japan
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Spain
- DeepMind, UK
- Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS)
- ,The Netherlands
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through KfW
- ,Germany
- Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)
- ,Japan
- Médecins Sans Frontières International
- Other private foundations and individuals
- Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
- ,Spain
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
- ,Switzerland
- UK aid
- ,UK
- Germany - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through KfW
- Japan - Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)
- Spain - Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
- Switzerland - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
- The Netherlands - Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS)
- UK - UK aid
- Médecins Sans Frontières International
- Other private foundations and individuals
- Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS)
- Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
- Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund)
- Other private foundations and individuals
- Médecins Sans Frontières International
- UK aid
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through KfW
Stay connected
Get our latest news, personal stories, research articles, and job opportunities.