Europe–Africa partnership for paediatric drug innovation

LSHTM has a strong track record in research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and close ties to national, regional and international policymakers. The IVM-KIDS team at LSHTM will be led by Prof. Michael Marks and Dr. Rachel Pullan. Prof. Marks is an Infectious Disease clinician and epidemiologist with extensive experience managing large-scale projects across Africa and the Pacific, and serves as an advisor to WHO on NTDs; he also has worked with partners in Ghana on the delivery of NTD research, including evaluations of therapeutics for more than 10 years. Dr. Pullan is an epidemiologist with global expertise in STH control, having led multiple large trials and consortium, including longstanding collaborations with KEMRI in Kenya.

Liconsa, part of the Insud Pharma Group, is a pharmaceutical company with wide expertise in R&D, regulatory processes and GMP manufacturing. It regularly engages with regulators such as EMA, WHO and FDA to obtain market authorisation. Liconsa recently obtained WHO prequalification for 3 mg ivermectin tablets and has the capacity to manufacture the new oro-dispersible formulation under strict quality standards to ensure consistent supply.

Mundo Sano is a family foundation with over 30 years of experience addressing NTDs through research and public policy. It played a key role in improving access to Chagas disease treatment and has implemented STH prevention and control programmes in Argentina, Honduras, Mozambique and Ethiopia. Mundo Sano brings extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue.

KEMRI is one of Africa’s leading public health research institutions, bringing together expertise from across disciplines to address major health challenges. Work on IVM-KIDS will be led by Dr. Stella Kepha and Dr. Charles Mwandawiro, both of whom have worked closely with LSHTM for over a decade. Dr. Kepha focuses on STH and schistosomiasis control in close partnership with the national NTD programme. Dr. Mwandawiro previously led the monitoring and evaluation of Kenya’s National School-Based Deworming Programme (2012–2017), contributing to the evaluation of novel STH treatment strategies. Their collaboration with LSHTM has included robust impact assessments in both programmatic and clinical trial settings, most recently focused on evaluating fixed-dose combination therapies for STH control and alternative mass treatment approaches.

KCCR is a centre of excellence within the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The centre has a highly trained and dedicated study team with several years of experience in study implementation, quality assurance and regulatory compliance. It also has experience delivering high impact clinical trials in NTDs, including onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis and Buruli ulcer. The IVM-KIDS team is led by Dr. John Amuasi, Executive Director of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. He is Co-Chair of The Lancet One Health Commission and a technical advisor to institutions such as WHO, Africa CDC and the African Academy of Sciences.

INRB is a national reference centre with expertise across epidemiology, parasitology, virology and bacteriology. It hosts a Clinical Research Centre coordinating trials on NTDs and infectious diseases. IVM-KIDS activities at INRB will be led by Dr. Dieudonné Mumba Ngoyi, a recognised expert in the field of NTDs, Head of the Parasitology Department and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnosis and Training in Human African Trypanosomiasis. He will be supported by Prof. Mandoko Nkoli.