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Fall 2003
A Social Enterprise for Global Health Dr. Victoria Hale, Founder and CEO, OneWorld Health OneWorld Health began with the simple goal of uniting an enormous opportunity and a very compelling need. Safe, effective and affordable medicines do not exist for many deadly infectious diseases of primary concern to poor people worldwide. Promising drug research for these diseases is rarely developed into new drugs. An organization that combined a social mandate with pharmaceutical expertise was needed to bring these drugs through to market. I began my pharmaceutical career, as most scientists do, with a desire to improve and save lives of people. I was proud to align myself with the remarkable advances of the pharmaceutical industry. But I also realized that these advances had little impact on the health of people in the developing world. A bold new strategy and mechanism was needed to apply these advances to diseases of poverty worldwide. I did not envision myself an entrepreneur. I simply saw a great opportunity. But taking advantage of that opportunity required a uniquely crafted venture. A nonprofit pharmaceutical company expertly versed in all aspects of drug development, held accountable for delivering products that benefit the patients most in need. An organization that would work hand-in-hand with the pharmaceutical industry to unlock the potential of undeveloped research. A vehicle for industry scientists, long concerned about global health, to contribute their time and vast talents. A company whose passion and experience would persuade key players in global health to take new leaps. In a little over three years, I am proud to say that OneWorld Health is fully realizing that vision. This fall OneWorld Health was honored with two awards for social entrepreneurship. At these two events I stood alongside remarkable global entrepreneurs with bold visions and tireless devotion to ideas that will mold a better future for all. My colleagues and I at OneWorld Health work in that spirit, and the awards we received from the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Tech Museum of Innovation are a tribute to the vision we all strive to realize: a healthier and more productive future for everyone worldwide. What follows is an update of the progress we?ve made in recent weeks. I encourage you to share this Pipeline with others, and invite them to visit our website www.oneworldhealth.org to learn more about OneWorld Health. Drug Developments Phase III trial of new cure for visceral leishmaniasis in India progressing. As of November 14, 2003, a total of 388 patients - over half of the target enrollment - have been enrolled in the Phase III multi-center clinical trial of paromomycin in Bihar, India. Preliminary data has been processed for the Data Safety Monitoring Board. At the current rate of enrollment and treatment, the trial will come to a close in September 2004. A team of outstanding pharmaceutical and visceral leishmaniasis medical experts has been brought together to begin writing the dossier for regulatory submission to Indian and European drug authorities, with other countries to follow. The dossier consists of a detailed history of paromomycin, spanning over 40 years of drug history, as well as a meticulous report of our Phase III clinical trial data. OneWorld Health seeks to develop drug for secretory (watery) diarrhea in children. Although oral rehydration therapy (ORT) has drastically reduced childhood deaths due to diarrheal disease, over two million children still die annually. ORT is composed of a solution of sugar and salt that is administered orally to replace water and vital nutrients lost in diarrhea; however, it does not stop the loss of water from the body. OneWorld Health has identified an anti-secretory compound, originally developed for traveler?s diarrhea that shows promise for complimenting ORT by reducing water secretion. Used in combination with ORT, the drug could further reduce diarrhea mortality in children. The compound originates from a tree found in the Amazon basin, and has been used for centuries by native peoples to treat diarrhea and other ailments. Using sustainable farming techniques, a process has been identified to extract the pure form of this natural product from the tree. Now patented, this compound has been converted into a drug form. OneWorld Health is seeking funding to pursue human clinical trials of the drug beginning in 2004. OneWorld Health in the News
Announcements and Events New grant supports unique drug research consortium. The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation of Berne, Switzerland has awarded $80,000 to OneWorld Health to support a global collaborative training program in pharmacokinetic analysis. Dr. Victoria Hale recognized as one of the world?s top social entrepreneurs for 2003. The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in Switzerland announced the annual international selection of its top Social Entrepreneurs of the Year for 2003. Victoria was selected as one of this year's 12 outstanding entrepreneurs. Past US winners include Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, and Jim Fruchterman, founder of Benetech. The Schwab Foundation identifies and supports a global community of social entrepreneurs whose innovative efforts can be scaled up and adapted internationally to achieve wider impact. Opportunities provided to Schwab entrepreneurs invited to join this exclusive network include participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the annual Social Entrepreneurs Summit in Geneva. For the full press announcement, please visit: Schwab Foundation Award 2004 Institute for OneWorld Health honored in 2003 Tech Museum of Innovation Awards. OneWorld Health was named one of 25 international laureates of the prestigious 2003 Tech Museum Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity. The awards, presented by the San Jose-based Tech Museum in partnership with the American Council for the United Nations University and Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology, and Society, are designed to honor individuals, for-profit companies, and public and not-for-profit organizations from around the world who are applying technology to profoundly improve the human condition. This year, an esteemed panel of judges considered more than 500 nominations, representing 70 countries. The twenty-five 2003 Tech Laureates come from Bangladesh, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nepal, and the United States. OneWorld Health was selected one of five laureates for the Alejandro Zaffaroni Health Award, which recognizes organizations who enhance the reach and safety of health care to marginalized communities, particularly addressing AIDS, blindness, cancer, and infectious disease. For the full press announcement please visit: Tech Museum Award Announcement On the Road: December 3 - 7, 2003: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 52nd Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. OneWorld Health will be exhibiting with multiple staff attending. January 4—18, 2004: South Asia Regional Meetings. OneWorld Health?s executive team will be traveling to clinical sites in India to monitor progress on visceral leishmaniasis clinical trials in Bihar, and will follow with travel to Dhaka and Matlab in Bangladesh, and Bangkok, Thailand. January 20—25, 2004: World Economic Forum 34th Annual Meeting, Davos, Switzerland. Victoria Hale and Ahvie Herskowitz will attend as part of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship award. Forum: Issues, Trends and Breakthroughs Commentary: The Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship, J. Gregory Dees, Stanford University, Kaufman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Excerpt: ?The time is certainly ripe for entrepreneurial approaches to social problems. Many governmental and philanthropic efforts have fallen far short of our expectations. Major social sector institutions are often viewed as inefficient, ineffective, and unresponsive. Social entrepreneurs are needed to develop new models for a new century.? Research: Early childhood diarrhea is associated with diminished cognitive function 4 to 7 years later in children in a northeast Brazilian shantytown (77KB pdf) Niehaus MD, Moore SR, Patrick PD, Derr LL, Lorntz B, Lima AA, Guerrant RL., Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2002 May;66(5):590-3. Excpert: ?Diarrhea is well recognized as a leading cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in developing countries; however, possible long-term cognitive deficits from heavy diarrhea burdens in early childhood remain poorly defined. This report confirms and substantially extends previous pilot studies, showing that long-term cognitive deficits are associated with early childhood diarrhea.? Join Us You don?t need a white coat to make an important contribution to OneWorld Health. A great number of our volunteers come from disciplines far removed from the laboratory, including business, law, finance, organizational management, and education. The challenges we face in global health are complex; accordingly, the teams we assemble must have the intellectual diversity to meet those challenges. We welcome the myriad talents that contribute to our mission, and will continue to highlight them in each edition of the Pipeline. Volunteer Spotlight Covington and Burling, a leading international law firm with over 500 lawyers practicing worldwide, advises OneWorld Health on numerous aspects of the law, from intellectual property and drug licensing, to corporate partnerships and nonprofit management. Covington was recently awarded the 2003 Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility, honored for its outstanding work with pro-bono clients. A great thanks for the brilliant efforts of Jim Snipes, head of Covington?s San Francisco office, and his colleagues, Emily Leonard and Daniel Hirsch. For more information about how you can volunteer your time or contribute to OneWorld Health in some other way, please contact Moli Steinert, Director of Development, at msteinert@oneworldhealth.org or call (415) 421-4700. Job Opportunities To learn about the positions that are open, please visit the Employment section in our website. |
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