San Diego Union-Tribune examines pharma's growing interest in neglected diseases

The San Diego Union-Tribune examines the pharmaceutical industry's growing interest in developing new treatments for what are known as "neglected diseases."

"Using powerful genetic-analysis tools more commonly targeted to cancer and other diseases prevalent in industrialized nations, researchers are studying patterns that underlie malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries and more obscure conditions such as leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease," the newspaper writes.

"Fueled by new funding sources, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, companies have pushed almost two dozen drugs into clinical trials," according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The article focuses on the pharmaceutical company Novartis' work in "finding drugs for some diseases with little or no moneymaking potential," and examines potential funding sources for drug development (Kupper, 4/11).