Introduction: Drug discovery and development for neglected diseases.

EDITORIAL.

While seemingly exotic, parasitic diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide (Table 1). However, there has been little interest in the pharmaceutical industry in discovering and developing new drugs for these diseases because they do not represent viable economic entities. These diseases are termed “neglected” because they primarily affect poor people in poor regions of the world. This is not to say that pharmaceutical companies have completely ignored the problem of effective and safe therapy.

Nevertheless, the lack of any potential for a “blockbuster drug” has resulted in major challenges to government, academic, and nonprofit agencies dedicated to the discovery, development, and launch of new therapy for NTDs.

[published online: Publication Date (Web): November 26, 2014]