NOVARTIS SPEARHEADS R&D COLLABORATION IN INDONESIA

The Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) has announced the launch of a new clinical research initiative in Indonesia that will further expand the capabilities of the Singapore-based institute to conduct research on tuberculosis (TB), dengue fever and malaria.

This new collaboration involves the Eijkman Institute in Jakarta and the Hasanuddin University Clinical Research Institute in Makassar, where the efforts will be based.

Novartis offers its broad expertise in all aspects of drug discovery and development as well as technologies, financial resources and local clinical expertise in tropical diseases, according to the drugmaker. This is the latest in a series of investments by Novartis to discover and develop treatments for neglected tropical diseases.

"As part of our commitment to tropical disease research, scientists at NITD will now have direct access to patients and their physicians in a setting typical for many patients suffering from TB, dengue or malaria," Paul Herrling, chairman of NITD and head of corporate research at Novartis, said. "We believe this initiative will particularly help us to design better treatments for patients in endemic regions."

The need for new drugs for dengue fever, TB and malaria is urgent, according to data from the World Health Organization showing that the incidence of these diseases is increasing rapidly, Novartis said.