The PDP model
Partner Interviews
MMV's partnership network is expansive. Please visit this page again as we will continue to add more interviews with our partners
College of Medicine Malawi ─ Analyzing the antimalarials market
The College of Medicine, is an academic centre of excellence, responsive to the health needs of Malawi by training professionals, providing clinical services and medical research. MMV worked with the College of Medicine Malawi to analyze the antimalarial medicines market in six districts in Malawi.
DHODH ─ Academic brain meets industrial muscle
The enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is one the hottest malaria drug targets under investigation today. The University of Texas Southwestern’s project to discover and develop targeted inhibitors with the ability to hit this target and stop the parasite in its tracks was awarded MMV’s 2010 Project of the Year in recognition of its impressive progress to rapidly bring these inhibitors towards clinical testing
Guilin Pharmaceutical, China ─ The world's first producer of WHO prequalified artesunate injection for severe malaria
Working with MMV, Guilin Pharmaceutical has become the world’s first producer of WHO-prequalified artesunate injection for severe malaria. Guilin Pharmaceutical has been producing intravenous (IV) artesunate for patients with severe malaria since 1987. But without WHO prequalification or stringent regulatory approval, it could not be purchased by international organizations or donor funds and was thus not reaching this vulnerable group.
Imperial College London, UK ─ Guiding the development of transmission-blocking medicines
Imperial College London has been working with MMV to turn basic biology into knowledge to underpin the development of new antimalarials. Current medicines mostly kill the malaria parasite at the blood stage, but to eradicate malaria, we need to stop the parasite being passed on to the next person via mosquitos. To do this we need medicines that can kill the parasite at multiple points in its lifecycle.
Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium ─ Setting high standards for clinical trials
ITM provides postgraduate training for medical doctors and paramedics – a number of whom are headed for central Africa. ITM also carries out a range of research on a number of tropical diseases. Collaboration between MMV and ITM focuses on the development and trial of new antimalarials.
The National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), India ─ Overcoming the challenges of conducting clinical trials in India
NIMR is India’s premier malaria research institute and has been instrumental in the field evaluation of new tools for malaria control. NIMR also carries out studies on drug resistance, and Phase II/ III trials of new drugs. Conducting clinical trials in India is a challenge but MMV and NIMR have had a successful partnership.
Novartis Institue for Tropical Diseases (NITD), Singapore ─ Feeding the drug development pipeline through the discovery of novel chemistry
Over the last few years NITD been working in close collaboration with MMV to explore new drug discovery approaches for malaria. NITD609 is a novel, synthetic investigational molecule belonging to the spiroindolone class. If proven to be well tolerated, it will be the first antimalarial not belonging to either the artemisinin or peroxide class to enter clinical efficacy studies in recent years.
OZ439 ─ A winning network of partners
The success of the OZ439 project can be attributed to the commitment, enthusiasm and range of scientific expertise of its partners from across the globe. The synthetic endoperoxide project was the very first discovery project taken into MMV’s portfolio back in 2000. Today, OZ439, one of the key molecules to emerge, and one of the next generation antimalarials, is on track to potentially replace artemisinin and become a part of the much-needed one-dose cure for malaria.
Sigma-Tau ─ Bringing all the right ingredients together
Since 2004, Sigma-Tau has been working in collaboration with MMV on a project with major social and healthcare impact – the development of an artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) for malaria, Eurartesim® (dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine or DHA/PQP). Now, in 2011, the combination has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – the first new European antimalarial medicine for over a decade. This is a huge achievement, and takes the medicine a step closer to the patients that so sorely need it.
Shin Poong, Korea ─ A long-standing collaboration
MMV and Shin Poong have worked together since 1999 to develop Pyramax® – the fixed-dose combination of pyronaridine and artesunate. The new medicine, a once daily, 3-day treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum and blood stage P. vivax malaria in infants, children and adults is awaiting regulatory approval by the European Medicines Agency.
