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H3D's Dr John Woodland discusses repurposing antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, as viable treatment options in the fight against COVID-19.
Kelly Chibale, Founder and Director of H3D and Neville Isdell Chair, and Nina Lawrence, Senior Investigator, presented at the J.C. Flowers Foundation’s Isdell:Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative’s 2020 Round Table on February 27th and 28th in Livingstone, Zambia. The duo, who spoke on a panel discussing scientific highlights in the field of malaria elimination, described the importance of developing new medicines for malaria elimination and eradication with an African-centric design.
UCT’s Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) aims to bring new medicines “from the bench to the bedside”. But how acquainted are prospective healthcare professionals with the difficulties of developing new treatments? Conversely, are research scientists aware of the challenges faced by medical professionals at the frontline of public healthcare in South Africa? These were the questions that the second collaboration between H3D and SHAWCO Health, UCT’s student-run community outreach organisation, sought to address.
Recently, H3D hosted a lunch in honour of Mr Neville Isdell to thank him for his generosity and leadership. Mr Isdell donated approximately R18 million towards the establishment of a five-year Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery and Development at H3D.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been an ongoing threat to public health in South Africa as well as other countries in Africa. Disturbingly, the burden in the continent from infectious diseases has also been on the rise. Part of the reason is the persistence of infections associated with tropical regions as well as the higher rates of poverty and greater spread of drug resistance.
"Prof Kelly Chibale talks about the bonds he has formed through his illustrious career which began in an impoverished Zambian township."
Prof Chibale was featured in this weeks Noseweek Issue #241, 1st November 2019 By Sue Segar
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Africa accounts for 15% of the global population and 25% of the global disease burden, yet the discovery and development of medicines that end up in Africa has historically only happened in the global north. It is time for the situation to change, says Professor Kelly Chibale, director and founder of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Drug Discovery and Development Centre, H3D.
With African-led innovation in drug discovery lower than other continents, the government has a responsibility to address the barriers that stand in the way of creating an innovation-friendly environment.
Eight innovators from seven African countries have been announced as the inaugural awardees of the Grand Challenges (GC) Africa drug discovery programme. They will be involved in research that will advance the discovery of new drugs to prevent, treat and cure diseases endemic to Africa.