The 17 neglected tropical diseases prioritized by WHO affect more than 1 billion people worldwide and are endemic in 149 countries, causing significant morbidity and mortality in the developing world. In spite of this, of the 1556 new drugs approved between 1975 and 2004, only 21 (1.3%) were specifically developed for tropical diseases and tuberculosis. Recent decades have witnessed increased activity toward the discovery of new therapies for neglected diseases, with growing involvement from the pharmaceutical industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations. Since resources in neglected disease research field are limited, 'open science' and data sharing have received growing interest as means of accelerating drug discovery efforts.

 

(후략)