The Royal Society of Chemistry has honoured the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Network with its Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize 2026, recognising a collaborative effort that includes a strong Pakistani contingent led by Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary. The award highlights the consortium’s work on developing new tools to identify and chemically and genetically validate multiple drug targets for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
The project, led from Durham University and funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund through the Medical Research Council, brings together scientists from the UK, Uruguay, India, Brazil, Argentina and Pakistan. The Horizon Prize acknowledges innovative chemical biology at the interface with disease research and rewards collaborations that open new directions in drug discovery and target validation.
Pakistan’s contribution is anchored at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, where Prof. Dr. Sammer Yousuf and Dr. Saba Farooq of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry and the Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research played key roles. The Pakistani team was guided by Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, a Mustafa Prize Laureate and Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, underscoring Pakistan’s growing leadership in collaborative biomedical research.
Winning the Horizon Prize reinforces Pakistan’s standing in global research networks and highlights the nation’s role in tackling protozoan neglected tropical diseases that affect millions in vulnerable communities. The recognition is expected to strengthen local capacity in chemical and genetic target validation and to accelerate drug discovery efforts that have direct relevance for public health in Pakistan and beyond.
