Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) - an independent, non-profit product development partnership - is bringing together Indian health leaders, key scientists and researchers, and drug development experts from across the Indian R&D spectrum to address critical challenges facing India and other countries worldwide in delivering new lifesaving treatments for neglected diseases.

More than one billion people a year are affected by a neglected tropical disease, which hit the world's poorest regions, including India. Current treatments for malaria, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar), Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness - DNDi's target diseases - are largely ineffective, highly toxic, difficult to administer, or unaffordable for these neglected patients.

"India plays a key leadership role in the fight against neglected diseases. More than 30 per cent of DNDi's R&D activities are currently taking place in India and cover projects from early discovery, to clinical trials, and up through access to patients," said DNDi's executive director, Bernard Pecoul.

The public symposium explores experiences in developing treatments and addressing patient needs in India. The distinguished panelists are discussing topics such as an update of DNDi's activities in the past five years, the changing R&D landscape in India and its impact on neglected diseases, as well as the perspectives on R&D sector delivering innovation for neglected diseases in India from an insider point of view.

With support from DNDi's founding member, the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), DNDi opened the regional support office in India in 2005 to support and catalyse DNDi's operational activities, namely in the field of two diseases, malaria and visceral leishmaniasis (VL).

Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is an independent, not-for-profit Product Development Partnership working to research and develop new and improved treatments for neglected diseases such as leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and Chagas disease, and malaria.