A cost-efficient, safe, and effective therapy for dengue fever, which kills thousands of people in India each year, might be available in a few years. Scientific cooperation between a government institute and a non-profit organisation aims to develop a treatment for dengue fever within five years.
According to a press release, the department of biotechnology of the Transitional Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), an autonomous institute under the ministry of science and technology has partnered with the non-profit research institute Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) India Foundation in a collaboration that ‘aims to develop a safe, affordable, and effective treatment for dengue fever within five years’.
‘There are no specific antiviral drugs to treat dengue infection, and limited use of vaccines. Despite research and development to identify treatment for dengue fever, we have not yet achieved sufficient results. It is important that we join our efforts to tackle the disease which affect millions of people’, said Pramod Kumar Garg, executive director of THSTI, as per the release.
‘The collaboration with DNDi India Foundation is an important step towards developing effective treatment of dengue fever. At the same time, it will coordinate efforts to help overcome knowledge gaps and expedite clinical research and regulatory approvals, including addressing unmet need of the dengue patients’, he said.
Also Read: Here are the reasons why coconut is beneficial for thyroid health
According to the announcement, the joint venture will conduct preclinical research of prospective dengue medicines, assess the efficacy of numerous repurposed medication candidates, and conduct clinical trials of the most promising compounds in order to provide a cost-effective and accessible treatment option. ‘The focus will be on combination treatment opportunities as these have the most potential for increased efficacy at different stages of the disease – increasing the window of opportunity to avoid progression to severe dengue’, it said.
As per the THSTI, dengue fever, a climate-sensitive neglected tropical illness spread by mosquitoes, is one of the top ten dangers to global public health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 390 million dengue virus infections occur each year, with 96 million of these manifesting clinically. In another study on the incidence of dengue fever, 3.9 billion individuals are in danger of contracting the virus. Despite the fact that there is a risk of infection in 129 countries, WHO estimates that Asia bears 70% of the actual burden.
Post Your Comments