Neglected Tropical Diseases: Current Treatment Challenges and Future Therapeutic Potentials

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) predominantly affect developing countries. Human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and malaria are protozoan infections that are endemic in developing countries and for which new drugs are desperately needed. Gaining better control of these diseases requires discovering and developing safe, effective, and affordable new drugs for the populations at risk. Unfortunately, incentives for the research and development of new medicine to combat NTDs are currently insufficient. This paper examines recent efforts to increase R&D investments in the development of new anti-parasitic drugs and provides an overview of the most recent and promising compounds at different development stages for each pathogen. Additionally, information on the development of novel formulations combining existing drugs and delivery systems that can improve therapeutic outcomes as well as recent advances in drug discovery, obstacles to developing new chemical entities (NCEs), and the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) are discussed. In conclusion, drug discovery for neglected diseases entails a larger challenge of demonstrating translational readiness at an early stage. Classification systems can help identify gaps and focus research and development efforts on candidates with the highest likelihood of becoming clinical options. To overcome funding shortages and reduce the incubation time for promising drug discovery initiatives, it is necessary to harness the power of collaborative networks and use innovative funding models.