The Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases aims to discover novel treatments and prevention methods for major tropical diseases. In those developing countries where these diseases are endemic, the Novartis Group intends to make treatments readily available and without profit to poor patients. The discovery technology is state-of-the-art and the scope of activities range from target discovery through to screen development and compound optimization up to readiness for clinical testing.
 
 

The Institute is looking to recruit the best scientists in the world, and as a major center of excellence, will offer exceptional teaching and training opportunities for post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.

The long-term aim of Novartis is to help reduce the overall affliction of tropical diseases and ultimately, improve the prosperity of developing countries. With the founding of the NITD, Novartis intends to advance medical research on infectious and parasitic diseases that affect so many people in the developing world.

Countries in the developing world are facing an ever widening gap between demand for healthcare services and the supply. This includes an urgent need for new drugs to treat a range of neglected infectious diseases. There is little focus on neglected diseases due to the high cost of discovery and development research and the low return on investment in research for these diseases.

The NITD strives to become a centre of excellence in the area of Dengue fever and tuberculosis, to contribute to the education of young scientists, and to be a role model for public-private-partnerships in South East Asia. Within the next few years the NITD aims at achieving the following ambitious goals:

• At least two compounds in clinical trials by 2008
• At least one novel and attractive compound on the market by 2012