FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics

Last updated
FIND
Formation2003 (2003)
Headquarters Geneva
Location
Fields Global health, Diagnostics
CEO
 Bill Rodriguez
Website finddx.org

FIND is a global health non-profit based in Geneva, Switzerland. FIND functions as a product development partnership, engaging in active collaboration with over 150 partners to facilitate the development, evaluation, and implementation of diagnostic tests for poverty-related diseases. The organisation's Geneva headquarters are in Campus Biotech. Country offices are located in New Delhi, India; Cape Town, South Africa; and Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Contents

History

FIND was launched at the 56th World Health Assembly in 2003 in response to the critical need for innovative and affordable diagnostic tests for diseases in low- and middle-income countries. [1]

The initiative was launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), and its initial focus was to speed up the development and evaluation of tuberculosis tests. [2]

In 2011, FIND was recognized as an "Other International Organization" by the Swiss Government, alongside DNDi and Medicines for Malaria Venture. [3]

Priorities

The organization focuses on improving diagnosis in several disease areas, including hepatitis C, HIV, malaria, neglected tropical diseases (sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, buruli ulcer), and tuberculosis. Alongside this, FIND works on diagnostic connectivity, antimicrobial resistance, acute febrile illness, [4] and outbreak preparedness. [5]

To support this work, FIND engages in development of target product profiles, maintains clinical trial platforms, manages specimen banks, negotiates preferential product pricing for developing markets, [6] and creates and implements trainings and lab strengthening tools. [7]

In 2020, FIND became a co-convener of the Diagnostics Pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Together they supported the development of reliable rapid antigen tests for COVID-19, and guaranteed access to 120 million rapid tests at an affordable price to low- and middle-income countries. [8]

FIND also aims at improving the diagnostics ecosystem by working on activities such as sequencing, managing a biobank network to facilitate diagnostic development across diseases, helping countries optimize their networks of diagnostic services, [9] and developing digital tools, such as algorithms, that can help healthcare workers provide better diagnosis.

Recent achievements

From 2015 to 2020, fifteen new diagnostic technologies supported by FIND received regulatory clearance, and 10 of them were in use by the end of 2020 in low- and middle-income countries. [10]

One example of such tests is Abbott's BIOLINE HAT 2.0, a rapid test for African trypanosomiasis, a disease also known as sleeping sickness. In 2021 Abbott donated 450,000 of these tests to scale up testing in low- and middle-income countries. [11]

Over the same period, FIND supported the development of four multi-disease diagnostic platforms:

In April 2020, the World Health Organization launched the ACT-Accelerator partnership, a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19. [16] Leading the diagnostic pillar together with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, FIND has worked to enable access to tests by boosting research and development, Emergency Use Listing, independent assessment, and manufacturing of tests.[ citation needed ]

Together with partners FIND has developed and made available online courses and training packages [17] for healthcare workers on COVID-19 testing.

FIND has also created a portal to provide an overview of the COVID-19 testing landscape, including a directory of COVID-19 diagnostics commercialized., [18] and a tracker centralizing all the data reported by the countries on COVID-19 tests performed, incidence, deaths and positivity rate. [19]

Funding and leadership

FIND receives its funding from more than thirty donors, including bilateral and multilateral organizations as well as private foundations.

Members of the Board of Directors include Ilona Kickbusch, George F. Gao, David L. Heymann, Shobana Kamineni and Sheila Tlou. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African trypanosomiasis</span> Parasitic disease also known as sleeping sickness

African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. It is caused by the species Trypanosoma brucei. Humans are infected by two types, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (TbG) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (TbR). TbG causes over 92% of reported cases. Both are usually transmitted by the bite of an infected tsetse fly and are most common in rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical medicine</span> Interdisciplinary branch of medicine

Tropical medicine is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that deals with health issues that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or are more difficult to control in tropical and subtropical regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuberculosis diagnosis</span>

Tuberculosis is diagnosed by finding Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in a clinical specimen taken from the patient. While other investigations may strongly suggest tuberculosis as the diagnosis, they cannot confirm it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuberculous meningitis</span> Medical condition

Tuberculous meningitis, also known as TB meningitis or tubercular meningitis, is a specific type of bacterial meningitis caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the meninges—the system of membranes which envelop the central nervous system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative</span> Non-profit organization

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a collaborative, patients' needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development (R&D) organization that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, notably leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, malaria, filarial diseases, mycetoma, paediatric HIV, cryptococcal meningitis, hepatitis C, and dengue. DNDi's malaria activities were transferred to Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neglected tropical diseases</span> Diverse group of tropical infectious diseases which are common in developing countries

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms (helminths). These diseases are contrasted with the "big three" infectious diseases, which generally receive greater treatment and research funding. In sub-Saharan Africa, the effect of neglected tropical diseases as a group is comparable to that of malaria and tuberculosis. NTD co-infection can also make HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis more deadly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health in Ethiopia</span> Overview of health in Ethiopia

Health in Ethiopia has improved markedly since the early 2000s, with government leadership playing a key role in mobilizing resources and ensuring that they are used effectively. A central feature of the sector is the priority given to the Health Extension Programme, which delivers cost-effective basic services that enhance equity and provide care to millions of women, men and children. The development and delivery of the Health Extension Program, and its lasting success, is an example of how a low-income country can still improve access to health services with creativity and dedication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeeri R. Reddy</span>

Jeeri Reddy an American biologist who became an entrepreneur, developing new generation preventive and therapeutic vaccines. He has been an active leader in the field of the biopharmaceutical industry, commercializing diagnostics and vaccines through JN-International Medical Corporation. He is the scientific director and president of the corporation that created the world's first serological rapid tests for Tuberculosis to facilitate acid-fast bacilli microscopy for the identification of smear-positive and negative cases. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV was achieved in South East Asia by the use of rapid tests developed by Reddy in 1999. Reddy through his Corporation donated $173,050 worth of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for malaria in Zambia and actively participated in the prevention of child deaths due to Malaria infections. Reddy was personally invited by the president, George W. Bush, and First Lady Laura Bush to the White House for Malaria Awareness Day sponsored by US President Malaria Initiative (PMI) on Wednesday, April 25, 2007.

The Xpert MTB/RIF is a cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for simultaneous rapid tuberculosis diagnosis and rapid antibiotic sensitivity test. It is an automated diagnostic test that can identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA and resistance to rifampicin (RIF). It was co-developed by the laboratory of Professor David Alland at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Cepheid Inc. and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, with additional financial support from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Fexinidazole is a medication used to treat African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. It is effective against both first and second stage disease. Also a potential new treatment for Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It is taken by mouth.

DiaSorin is an Italian multinational biotechnology company that produces and markets in vitro diagnostics reagent kits used in immunodiagnostics and molecular diagnostics and since July 2021, it is also active in the Life Science business. The group was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Saluggia, Italy. Its production is at several plants located in Europe and the United States: Saluggia and Gerenzano (Italy), Dietzenbach (Germany), Stillwater, Minnesota (US), Dartford (UK). Following the acquisition of Luminex, the company acquired five additional production plants located in the United States and in Canada (Toronto). The company is a constituent of the FTSE MIB index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cepheid (company)</span> American molecular diagnostics company

Cepheid is an American molecular diagnostics company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Danaher Corporation. Its systems automate traditional nucleic acid tests. The tests can be used to identify and analyze pathogens and genetic disorders. Cepheid sells clinical tests for healthcare-associated infections, infectious diseases, sexual health, oncology and genetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keertan Dheda</span>

Keertan Dheda MBBCh (Wits), FCP(SA), FCCP, PhD (Lond), FRCP (Lond), born in 1969, is a Professor of Mycobacteriology and Global health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with an extra-mural joint appointment at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he is a Professor of Respiratory Medicine.

Zarir Udwadia is an Indian pulmonologist and researcher. His work on drug resistant tuberculosis has led to improvements in India's National Tuberculosis Control Programme. Udwadia was the only Indian invited by the WHO to be part of the TB ‘Guidelines Group’, which formulated the 4th edition of the TB Guidelines, published in 2010. He was also the only doctor to be named among India's best strategists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator</span> G20 COVID-19 global initiative

The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or the Global Collaboration to Accelerate the Development, Production and Equitable Access to New COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, is a G20 initiative announced by pro-tem Chair Mohammed al-Jadaan on 24 April 2020. A call to action was published simultaneously by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 24 April. As of January 2022, it was the largest international effort to achieve equitable access to COVID-19 health technologies.

Katie Jane Ewer is a British immunologist and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute.

Truenat is a chip-based, point-of-care, rapid molecular test for diagnosis of infectious diseases. The technology is based on the Taqman RTPCR chemistry which can be performed on the portable, battery operated Truelab Real Time micro PCR platform. Truenat is developed and manufactured by Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics Private Limited.

Lyda Elena Osorio Amaya is a Colombian physician, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist. She is an associate professor at the Universidad del Valle, and a researcher at the Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) in Cali, Valle del Cauca. Osorio's research has focused mainly on vector-borne diseases like malaria, leishmaniasis, Zika and dengue fever. She has also played a role in Colombia's response against COVID-19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catharina Boehme</span> Medical scientist

Catharina Boehme is the Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance of the World Health Organization. She previously served as WHO Chef de Cabinet, and is known for her work in developing diagnostic tests for diseases such as tuberculosis and for advocating for increased testing for the COVID-19 disease.

The WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics, or WHO list of essential diagnostic tests (EDL) is a World Health Organization (WHO) priority list of medical tests that provides guidance for individual countries on which tests to use and which not to. It was first published in 2018, then revised in 2019, and a third edition was published in 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "UN, Gates Foundation launch $30 million research effort for deadly diseases". news.un.org. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  2. ↑ "$30 Million Research Effort to Develop New Tests for Deadly Infectious Diseases". www.gatesfoundation.org. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  3. ↑ "International status granted to three not-for-profit organizations in Switzerland – DNDi". www.dndi.org. 8 December 2010. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
  4. ↑ "FIND Expands Fever Bank for Diagnostics Developers". www.360dx.com. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  5. ↑ Usher, Ann Danaiya (2022). "FIND documents dramatic reduction in COVID-19 testing". The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 22 (7): 949. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00376-0. PMC   9162475 . PMID   35659000. S2CID   249281667.
  6. ↑ Fleming, Kenneth A.; et al. (2021). "The Lancet Commission on diagnostics: transforming access to diagnostics". The Lancet. 398 (10315): 1997–2050. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00673-5. PMC   8494468 . PMID   34626542. S2CID   238412855.
  7. ↑ "FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics". www.futurelearn.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  8. ↑ "How the ACT Accelerator is making a difference: Impact and Results". www.who.int. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  9. ↑ "FIND Receives $3.9M Grant to Optimize Dx Networks in LMICs". www.360dx.com/. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  10. ↑ "Changing Lives Through Testing" (PDF). www.finddx.org. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  11. ↑ "Dundee research to help eliminate Sleeping Sickness". www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  12. ↑ Gotham D, McKenna L, Deborggraeve S, Madoori S, Branigan D (2021). "Public investments in the development of GeneXpert molecular diagnostic technology". PLOS ONE. 16 (8): e0256883. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1656883G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256883 . PMC   8407584 . PMID   34464413.
  13. ↑ "The use of a commercial loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (TB-LAMP) for the detection of tuberculosis" (PDF). www.apps.who.int. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  14. ↑ "WHO endorses Truenat molecular diagnostic tests for TB". NewsMedical Life Sciences. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "FIND initiates feasibility studies for rapid, low-cost diagnostics to distinguish gonorrhoea from chlamydia in primary care settings". www.finddx.org. Archived from the original on 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  16. ↑ "What is the ACT-Accelerator". www.who.int. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  17. ↑ "SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test training package". www.who.int. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  18. ↑ "Test directory". www.finddx.org. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  19. ↑ "SARS-CoV-2 Test Tracker". www.finddx.org. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  20. ↑ "Board of Directors". www.finddx.org. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
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