Amazonian biodiversity: a view of drug development for Leishmaniasis and malaria

chemotherapy is the only validated therapy for the treatment for the neglected diseases leishmaniasis and malaria. however, the emergence of drug resistance, collateral effects and long-term treatment encourage the development of new and more efficient drugs. the amazon tropical forest includes the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, including a great number of microbes, plant and animal species that produce a source of interesting biologically active molecules. several of these molecules, obtained from plant extracts and frog venom have leishmanicidal and plasmodicidal activity, highlighting the potential of this biodiversity for the development of new drugs. in research, modern approaches in new drug development are carried out using combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening, bioinformatics, molecular interaction, crystallography and dynamic studies of cellular and systemic toxicity. in brazil, these techniques are mainly present in only a few academic groups with no efficient connection to industry. the problem associated with over-regulation for accessing the biological material in restricted areas, local populations and indigenous areas places major barriers in the path of research and development of new drugs. thus, the association of academic research groups in brazil, encouraged and supported by government and industry, is essential to overcome these major barriers related to the development of new products for treatment of neglected diseases from amazonian biodiversity in future years.