Challenges and Opportunities for Drug Discovery in Developing Countries: The Example of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

The current drug discovery paradigm has failed to address the treatment need for diseases of high priority to developing countries. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a good example of such diseases with virtually no new effective drug developed in the past 70 years. The past two decades had witnessed relatively increased attention toward neglected diseases by stimulating pharmaceutical industries through introductions of Priority Review Vouchers (PRVs) and Product Development Partnerships (PDPs). However, the lion's share of resources allocated for research and development by PRVs and PDPs is directed toward research organizations and pharmaceutical industries in developed countries. This new approach has also not led to the development of drugs for most neglected diseases including cutaneous leishmaniasis. Improving the medical discovery capacity of countries where these diseases are prevalent and enabling exploration of the hitherto untapped natural resources are an effective and sustainable solution.