[Ip-health] Pfizer Assists World Health Organization in Search for New Treatments Against Diseases

[Aman Bhandari]

Hello,

I checked and did not see a post on this, hopefully someone can
dissect this and give their commentary:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061026/nyth016.html?.v=66

Pfizer Assists World Health Organization in Search for New Treatments
Against Diseases of the Developing World
Thursday October 26, 5:00 am ET
Company Opens its Compound Library to Help Search for New
Anti-Parasitic Medicines

NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pfizer announced today
collaboration that gives access to its library of medicinal compounds
-- the world's largest -- and also brings scientists from developing
countries into Pfizer's laboratories for training in drug discovery
techniques.

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The collaboration with The Special Program for Research and Training
in Tropical Diseases of the WHO (WHO/TDR) is part of a new effort to
link the research resources of a major pharmaceutical company to a
global network of discovery research, and speed the search for new
drugs to combat some of the world's most deadly parasitic diseases,
including malaria, leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis,
onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and Chagas' disease.

Under the arrangement, scientists in institutes affiliated with the
WHO/TDR-sponsored Compound Evaluation Network are testing thousands of
compounds from the Pfizer library. In a process called "screening,"
the researchers are seeking to identify "hits" -- compounds that show
initial activity against a range of tropical parasites.

As part of the collaboration, developing country researchers supported
by a second WHO/TDR network -- the Medicinal Chemistry Network -- are
working with scientists at Pfizer's laboratories in Sandwich, UK, to
further evaluate the "hits" and from those select "lead" compounds --
those with the greatest potential to be developed into new medicines
for parasitic disease treatment and prevention. They are also being
trained by Pfizer scientists in the latest drug discovery research
methods and use of state-of-the-art tools. Following this training,
they will return to their home countries to deploy their new knowledge
and skills.

"This agreement with Pfizer is a step forward in expanding worldwide
capacity in tropical disease research, because it enhances access to
research tools for developing country researchers and expands access
to large numbers of compounds for screening to identify new leads,"
said Dr Robert Ridley, director of WHO/TDR.

"This collaboration also supports the sharing of knowledge between
developed and developing country scientists, necessary to build
research capacity in developing countries," Ridley added.

Pfizer has initially provided 12,000 compounds, many of which are
known to have activity against protozoan or helminth parasites. As
WHO/TDR increases screening capacity across its network, Pfizer will
provide more compounds. The company's scientists will identify the
compounds most likely to address biochemical targets associated with
anti-parasitic activity.

"People are suffering in developing countries and we want to help by
sharing resources and boosting research against tropical diseases,"
said Dr. Martin Mackay, senior vice president of Research &
Technology, Pfizer Global Research & Development. "This is early-stage
research, which means that effective new treatments are still years
downstream, but it certainly improves the chances of identifying
compounds that may lead to new drugs. We believe public-private
research collaborations are vital to tackling heath challenges in
developing countries, and we are already exploring ways in which our
collaboration with WHO/TDR might be expanded to further aid in the
search for drugs with the potential to treat tropical diseases," he
added.

WHO/TDR's Compound Evaluation and Medicinal Chemistry Networks include
institutes and laboratories worldwide with broad expertise in
parasitic diseases. The Pfizer collaboration, however, provides the
TDR-sponsored networks with greatly expanded access to chemical
compounds for screening and research.

Dr. Ridley hopes the new Pfizer collaboration will encourage other
companies to join and expand the WHO/TDR Networks, and to explore
further collaborations with developing country researchers in
discovery research. "This can be a model for other industry
collaboration. It can help attract more companies to invest in
tropical disease drug discovery," he said.

Malaria, alone, kills an estimated 1.2 million people a year, mostly
in Africa, according to WHO. Other tropical diseases, while claiming a
smaller death toll, still put the health of millions of people in
Africa, Asia and Latin America at risk every year, and are responsible
for an enormous burden of illness and disability.

Pfizer is constantly seeking new medicines to treat the most serious
health threats to populations globally, including non-communicable
diseases that have become an increasing concern in the developed
world, and infectious diseases such as malaria, still very prevalent
in developing countries.

WHO/TDR is an independent global program of scientific collaboration
established in 1975 and co-sponsored by the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the
World Bank and the WHO.

Pfizer Inc: Working for a healthier world

Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's largest research-based
pharmaceutical company taking new approaches to better health. We
discover and develop innovative medicines to treat and help prevent
disease for both people and animals. Through consistent, high-quality
manufacturing and distribution operations, our medicines reach
patients in 180 nations. We also partner with healthcare providers,
governments and local communities around the world to expand access to
our medicines and to provide better quality healthcare and health
system support. At Pfizer, our colleagues work every day to help
people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human and
economic burden of disease worldwide.