Developing World Cures

Developing World Cures
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Our Business Model

DWC is composed of a team of highly talented and experienced pharmaceutical research and development scientists and healthcare executives. This team will bring its considerable skills and expertise to identify projects with high medical need, as well as a high likelihood of success, plan rapid and cost effective development programs and execute these plans to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to bring new medicines and diagnostics to the developing world.

DWC will be distinguished as a translational development engine for projects from academic laboratories and abandoned or refocused projects from biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The team is comprised of talented individuals with multi-year pharmaceutical experience ranging from drug discovery to commercialization. DWC applies the considerable expertise of this team to achieve translation of projects to therapeutic products. DWC accomplishes this translation by leveraging the best practices from the for-profit sector, by engaging development teams that are strong in planning and decision-making skills and driven by setting clear, measurable goals and stringent timelines.

DWC builds capabilities in those areas where it has clear expertise and partners in areas where others are already established. By focusing on its strengths and partnering with other organizations, DWC minimizes costs and adds value to other organizations seeking to achieve the same goals for the developing world.

DWC recognizes the many challenges in developing appropriate therapeutic products for the developing world, as well as the challenges inherent in traditional drug development. However, the culture of DWC is highly innovative and collaborative and its team applies their creativity to effectively manage complex relationships across cultures, different areas of expertise and diverse organizations. The team believes that effective partnerships and stakeholder relationships are dependent on clear, transparent communications that manage expectations and ensure achievement of shared goals.

DWC’s leadership uses their extensive industry contacts and knowledge of pharmaceutical R&D to identify high potential compounds and projects for translational development. A small staff, supplemented by consultants and volunteers, efficiently and effectively drives development and approval of selected projects. To accelerate translational R&D, the “virtual pharma” model, which utilizes substantial outsourcing, is employed wherever optimal.

DWC has been established as an independent non-profit Connecticut corporation under fiscal sponsorship of Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE), which is organized as a 501(c)(3).

Our Process

High potential projects for DWC’s pipeline are secured through three primary relationships.

First, DWC collaborates extensively with universities to identify research projects applicable to developing world diseases which are appropriate for development and exhibit the potential to translate well into meaningful therapies.
Second, DWC develops collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to obtain access to compounds and other intellectual property (IP) that can be applied to specific DWC projects. These may include later stage development projects that have been abandoned because of questionable marketplace interest or financial return, veterinary medicines for adaptation to human use, and projects employing off-patent medicines which could be used or modified to treat diseases and conditions for which they were not previously developed.
Third, DWC works with other non-profit entities who have identified projects and/or secured intellectual property but who lack the R&D translational capabilities of DWC.

In order to ensure that foundation funding and DWC resources are effectively applied to the projects most likely to have a positive impact on developing world populations, we have established a due diligence and collaboration planning process which is applied to the projects identified within our disease scope, as described below. These activities will be led by a subteam well versed in product sourcing and due diligence activities, having years of executive experience in pharmaceutical licensing and corporate development and life sciences venture capital.

Once projects of interest are identified and confidentiality agreements executed, discussions with potential collaborators enable a thorough examination of the viability of each project. Elements considered in our due diligence include:

Intellectual property, with particular emphasis on freedom to operate in the developing world.
Proof of concept
Path to commercialization in the developing world, including delivery challenges
Strategic fit with DWC’s vision
Target product profile, including clearly defined impact and fit in specific developing countries/regions

Once projects have completed the due diligence process, the collaboration planning process establishes the governance and other terms of the agreements, including roles and responsibilities for the parties and a detailed project plan. Partners participate in the planning and execution of projects in a manner that provides for continuous learning and sharing of expertise. This provides competitive advantage to all partners and enables DWC to attract the best projects on terms that favor patients in the developing regions of the world.