The renewal contract marks the 14th year of collaboration between PharmAust’s subsidiary Epichem and global non-profit organisation, DNDi.

Clinical stage biotech, PharmAust (ASX:PAA), announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Epichem has been awarded an extension contract by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

The contract renewal will see Epichem continue to provide its synthetic and medicinal chemistry expertise to support DNDi’s drug discovery project until at least December 2022.

Aimed at developing new treatments for neglected diseases, the DNDi projects are expected to generate revenues for Epichem of up to $1.02m during CY 2022.

“We’re delighted that the contract with DNDi has been renewed for another year, and excited by what we can achieve together in partnership and collaboration to deliver the expected outcomes with our dedicated team of chemists,” commented Epichem’s CEO, Colin La Galia.

“This will mark our 14th consecutive year with DNDi supporting their important work, and we look forward to continuing our long- standing and important relationship with them.”

 

Treatments for neglected diseases

DNDi is a not-for-profit product development organisation working to research and develop new treatments for neglected diseases.

DNDi is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as other private foundations and individuals.

In particular, the organisation is looking into diseases prevalent in developing countries, including human sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, paediatric HIV, hepatitis C, mycetoma and river blindness.

It was established in 2003 as a partnership organisation by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation from Brazil, the Indian Council for Medical Research, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, Pasteur Institute, and Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).

The World Health Organisation and the TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) act as permanent observers to the partnership.

Since founding, the DNDi  initiative has developed eight treatments for five deadly diseases, and has saved millions of lives in the process.

Epichem has been working with DNDi for the past 13 years, sharing its expertise in synthetic and medicinal chemistry to support DNDi’s early phase drug discovery pipeline and aid its mission.

Located in Technology Park in WA, Epichem has also been delivering its products and services to the global pharmaceutical industries in over 40 countries for the last 18 years.

Its newly built state-of-the-art laboratories possess world class equipment and expertise to support the development of synthesis from its comprehensive library of drug analogues and intermediates.

The company has also completed building a world’s first flow reactor using the  benchtop Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD) technology, which could turn a wide range of waste and biomass feedstock into valuable energy products.

This article was developed in collaboration with PharmAust, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.