March 31, 2021

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund
provides grant to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and DNDi
for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis drug discovery～Targeting treatments for infectious diseases that
impact people in developing countries～
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Osaka; President andCEO: Hiroaki Ueno) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), aninternational not-for-profit research and development organization, will start drug
discovery research on lead compounds targeting Chagas disease and leishmaniasis
in April 2021, with funding from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund(GHIT Fund).
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and DNDi have collaborated closely since September
2019 on screening project financed by the GHIT Fund and have successfully
identified nine active series. All series are novel to DNDi discovery programs andsatisfy all target criteria set by the GHIT Fund and DNDi, resulting in successfulprogression to the ‘hit-to-lead’ stage of the drug discovery process. Mitsubishi
Tanabe Pharma and DNDi will receive an additional grant of 117 million yen fromthe GHIT Fund to support two years of collaboration to identify new lead compounds
that meet the criteria set by DNDi.
Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are diseases caused by parasitic infections thatcan be fatal if not treated, each killing about 10,000 people each year. Improved
treatments for the diseases are needed because current options are subefficacious,
can cause serious side effects, and can be poorly tolerated, lengthy, painful, andcostly.
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is advancing business activities under the MISSION of"Creating hope for all facing illness". In addition, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma has
identified access to healthcare as one of the material issues in meeting theSustainable Development Goals. Moving forward, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will
work toward the realization of a sustainable society by contributing to the healthof people around the world through the discovery of drugs that address unmet
medical needs and through participation in the GHIT Fund and other initiatives.
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
Corporate Communications Department
Media contacts: TEL:+81 6 6205 5119

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■About Chagas disease
Chagas disease is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by the parasite
Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by the bite of a kissing bug (reduviidbugs). Symptoms of Chagas disease include high fever, rash, lymphadenitis,
hepatosplenomegaly and unilateral eyelid edema in the acute phase (1 week toseveral months), followed by myocarditis and megacolon in the chronic phase (10years to several decades later) initially without symptoms. Chagas disease affects
about 6-7 million people.
■About Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is caused by several species of Leishmania parasites, which arespread when infected sandflies bite animals or people. There are three main formsof leishmaniasis, which affect different parts of the body: the internal organs(most severe), the skin (common), and the mucous membranes. More than one
million people are newly infected with leishmaniasis each year.

■About DNDi
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit, patientoriented research and development organization working to deliver safe, effective,
and accessible treatments for millions of people living in vulnerable conditions andaffected by neglected diseases, notably Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, sleeping
sickness, filarial infections, mycetoma, paediatric HIV and hepatitis C.

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