CWR expands partnership to cure diseases in LMICs

Cures Within Reach (CWR), a global nonprofit that identifies and funds clinical trials testing approved therapies for unsolved diseases, has expanded its partnership with Open Philanthropy, to de-risk potential therapeutic options that address high disease burdens for patients in low and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs).

The multi-year grant renewal will support CWR’s ReGRoW initiative, which was launched in 2019 with the purpose of identifying and funding clinical trials led by LMIC-based researchers to impact LMIC-based patients using readily available generic medicines, nutraceuticals, and indigenous medicines.

“Our partnership with Open Philanthropy furthers our commitment to investing in transformative research initiatives that benefit patients in LMICs and strengthen local healthcare infrastructure by empowering LMIC-based clinicians and researchers,” Barbara Goodman, president and CEO of Cures Within Reach said. “By funding critical clinical trials and fostering innovation where it’s needed most, we are accelerating the research of existing medicines for use in difficult-to-treat diseases in underserved populations while building sustainable research capacity. This approach ensures that medical innovations are developed with and for the communities they aim to serve.”

CWR’s second LMIC-based clinical trial that it funded, completed in 2023, treated snakebite in Kenya with unithiol, led by Prof. Mainga Hamaluba at KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya.

Data from this Phase 1 clinical trial led to a $5.4 million grant from Open Philanthropy to support a Phase 2B clinical trial in Brazil and Ghana investigating two oral medicines, unithiol and marimastat, as potential treatments for snakebites.

In these countries, snakebites are potentially fatal and require urgent treatment. If successful, both medicines would represent inexpensive treatments that could be deployed in rural settings.

“We are grateful for Cures Within Reach’s support for our Phase 1 trial that provided critical evidence to support further research in a Phase 2B trial,” said. Hamaluba, associate professor and chair of clinical research at KEMRI – Wellcome. “This support has significantly accelerated the development of a promising repurposed therapy that could change how we treat snakebite in rural settings where most snakebites occur. The compound we are studying, which has already proven safe in other clinical applications, is a perfect example of how repurposing can offer cost-effective solutions to address global health challenges.”

During the next two years, with support from Open Philanthropy, CWR will select and fund 16 more LMIC-based clinical trials. These trials will also include funding for important community engagement activities alongside each selected trial to engage trusted community leaders and organizations that bring clinical research to patients everywhere.

“The complex health challenges facing low- and middle-income countries demand sustained, coordinated investment from the global giving community,” said Ray Kennedy, a program officer for Open Philanthropy’s Global Health R&D program.

“By working with Cures Within Reach to fund locally led medical research and strengthen research capacity in these regions, we can create a more equitable global health ecosystem. Our experience shows that when we empower researchers and clinicians in their communities, we not only accelerate medical breakthroughs but also build a research infrastructure to serve historically underserved populations and ensure that medical innovation truly works for everyone.”

In October, CWR selected six LMIC-based clinical trials to start in 2025. These six bring CWR’s LMIC portfolio to 19 clinical trials including 10 ongoing and three recently completed trials.