Bangalore, India and Barcelona, Spain – The Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR) and DevsHealth have entered into a partnership to develop broad-spectrum antiviral medications for flavivirus infections using artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) technology. Flaviviruses such as dengue, Zika, West Nile virus, and Japanese encephalitis affect more than 400 million people worldwide each year, with low- and middle-income countries bearing the brunt of the disease burden. The two organizations’ collaboration aims to create efficient and affordable drugs that are readily available to those who need them.
Through this partnership, DevsHealth, a DeepTech firm focused on the development of anti-infectious drugs using AI, real-world data, and molecular modelling, will work directly with FNDR, a non-profit organization with experience in drug discovery for infectious and neglected diseases. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the treatment of flavivirus infections, as currently, patients cannot access any medications to treat these infections. By leveraging FNDR’s expertise in studying infectious diseases and DevsHealth’s technological platform, the consortium aims to accelerate the development of new broad-spectrum medicines for flaviviruses.
DevsHealth CEO Alfons Nonell-Canals remarked, “This agreement will allow us to engage on a high social impact initiative by leveraging our technology to enhance people’s health as well as to facilitate access to medicines, especially in LMICs.” Dr. Shridhar Narayanan, CEO of FNDR, added, “This collaboration with DevsHealth allows us to combine the power of AI/ML technologies with FNDR’s in vitro and in vivo capabilities to accelerate the discovery and development of a broad-spectrum antiviral drug for mosquito-borne neglected diseases.” The goal of the partnership aligns with FNDR’s mission to find and create innovative treatments, diagnostics, and devices for diseases with significant socioeconomic impacts.”
Since its founding in 2014, FNDR has developed a portfolio of therapeutics for COVID-19, RSV, serious bacterial infections, fungal infections, nontuberculous mycobacteria, malaria, dengue, leishmania, and tuberculosis. The R&D Center for FNDR in Bangalore, India, houses state-of-the-art BSL2 and BSL3 laboratories for in vitro and in vivo research. DevsHealth, established in July 2021, is using molecular modelling, AI, and real-world data analysis to speed up the development of novel anti-infective therapies. The company’s own technological platform helps to reduce the risk, time, and cost of creating antibacterial and antiviral medications.
The FNDR and DevsHealth partnership is set to make a significant impact on global health by providing efficient and affordable drugs for flavivirus infections. This collaboration showcases the potential of AI/ML technologies to accelerate the development of novel treatments for neglected diseases.
