ReGRoW – LMICs
Repurposing Grants for the Rest of the World
ReGRoW is a non-profit program developed to support the growth of clinical research from within low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) to find treatments for patients in LMICs, using repurposed therapies.
Funding For Clinical Research From Within LMICs
There is a significant need for expanding clinical research capacity in LMICs, where many talented researchers struggle to get the necessary funding to advance their ideas. Currently, less than 10% of global resources are dedicated to research in developing countries. We are addressing both the need for the building of clinical research capacity and the funding gap in LMICs with our program called ReGRoW: Repurposing Grants for the Rest of the World.
ReGRoW is providing grants – between US$25,000 and US$60,000 each – for scientists and clinicians in LMICs who are investigating how currently approved therapies can be repurposed for the treatment of unsolved diseases in their own communities.
In doing so, we aim to:
- Expand the potential for and funding of clinical research in LMICs
- Address local health concerns through local research
- Empower scientists through funding access
- Lower the cost of clinical development by using therapies already known to be safe and effective in other indications
Four Clinical Trials Selected in 2023, all ongoing now:
- Using Sodium Bicarbonate to Reduce Maternal / Fetal Death from Acidosis During Obstructed Labor in Uganda at Busitema University led by Milton Musaba, PhD
- Testing a Generic Drug Combination to Treat AML in Tanzania at Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences led by Christina Malichewe, MMED
- Adding Zinc to Reduce Sickle Cell Anemia-related Infections in Ugandan Children at Global Health Uganda led by Ruth Namazzi, MMED
- Adding Beta-lactam to Shorten Buruli Ulcer Disease Therapy in Benin at Université d’Abomey-Calavi led by Dr. Roch Christian Johnson
Three Clinical Trials Selected in 2022, all ongoing now:
- Dr. Dinesh Mondal at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh: Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Oral Ivermectin in Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis Treatment
- Dr. Stanley Zimba at University of Zambia School of Medicine: Testing an Antihypertensive Drug as an Add-On therapy for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Patients in Zambia
- Dr. Fahafahantsoa Rapelanoro Rabenja at University of Antananarivo: Effect of methotrexate as a treatment for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in Madagascar
Three Trials Funded in 2021, 2 ongoing now, 1 completed:
- For chronic pancreatitis patients in India
- For triple negative breast cancer in Nigeria
- In pediatric chronic ear infections in Nigeria (completed)
Three Trials Funded in 2020, ongoing now or already completed:
Cures Within Reach received over 30 proposal submissions from 12 LMIC countries on 4 continents. After a 2-stage review process, supported by our Science Advisory Board and over 20 volunteer, external members of our Grant Review Committee, Cures Within Reach selected 3 clinical repurposing projects for funding during our pilot year:
 |
 |
 |
COMPLETED: Dr. Hamaluba researching snakebites in Kenya |
Dr. Nguyen researching a rare pediatric liver disease biliary atresia in Vietnam |
COMPLETED: Dr. Adewole researching tuberculosis in Nigeria |
The details of these ongoing ReGRoW / LMIC-based clinical trials are on our Current Research page.
Cures Within Reach thanks Takeda’s Center for Health Equity and Patient Affairs for support in helping conceptualize the ReGRoW pilot as well as providing financial support of the initial ReGRoW projects, all in support of underserved communities and researchers.
Additional thanks to Open Philanthropy, a grantmaking organization which aims to use its resources to help others as much as it can, for its partnership, focusing on impacting high disease burden of patients living in LMICs.
Why Focus on Repurposed Therapies?
Developing, manufacturing, and gaining regulatory approval for a novel pharmaceutical can take up to 20 years, from bench to bedside. One strategy for shortening the drug development timeline is repurposing currently approved therapies for the treatment of unsolved diseases. This can drive the discovery of more treatments for more patients more quickly.
There are many advantages with repurposing approved drugs.
Diseases Researched
Repurposing Trials Funded
Institutions Funded
Success Stories
Startups with CWR Investments
Companies Commercializing CWR Projects
Millions of Dollars in Clinical Trial Funding
Millions of Dollars in Follow-on Funding Leveraged
Eligibility Criteria for ReGRoW
Do you (or anyone you know!) have a clinical repurposing research idea that would be a good fit for ReGRoW?
To be eligible for a ReGRoW grant, proposed projects must:
- Serve an unmet medical need in any disease area (ReGRoW is disease-agnostic), although CWR has a preference for trials that address high disease burden (see https://ourworldindata.org/burden-of-disease) whether non-communicable diseases; communicable diseases; maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases or injuries
- Use only generic or off-patent drugs or drug-like compounds, including nutraceuticals and indigenous medicines, that can be accessed in the country where the research is being performed
- Involve only human clinical research
For principal investigators (PIs) to be eligible, their proposed research must be performed in institutions that:
- Are based in LMICs, according to criteria from the World Bank
- Have received previous external, third-party clinical research funding from a government, NGO, private foundation, or private source
- Have an Institutional Review Board, Ethics Committee or equivalent review board in place
- Follow the WHO’s GLP, GCLP, and/or GCP guidelines, or equivalent
- Have past or current experience with human clinical research
ReGRoW Submission Instructions
ReGRoW submissions must be submitted through our ProposalCentral grants management system. ProposalCentral is free to use. Create an account or log in to an existing account: if you’re already a ProposalCentral user, log into our new site from the top right corner or if you don’t have a ProposalCentral login, create a login here.
All submissions must be submitted on ProposalCentral to be considered.
If you have eligibility or submission questions, or if you are interested in volunteering with ReGRoW, please contact Clare Thibodeaux, Ph.D. at clare@cureswithinreach.org.
The Review Timeline
ReGRoW has a two-stage application process. Stage 1 is an initial Letter of Intent (LOI) submission , and PIs are asked for information about the proposed treatment, research aims and plan, funding amount, disease background and other topics. LOIs should include only enough details to allow reviewers to understand the background / support for the proposed project, the experimental plan, the potential patient impact and any community engagement ideas. Full scientific details are not required at this time. PIs will be notified in approximately 6-8 weeks after the LOI submission deadline if their initial LOI has been selected to move on to the next stage of the process.
Step 2 occurs after an LOI review process involving Cures Within Reach staff, our volunteer Grant Review Committee (representing research, industry, clinicians and the patient/community voice) and/or our Science Advisory Board members. CWR will invite the top scoring LOIs to submit a proposal on ProposalCentral. Proposals include full scientific details for the project and are reviewed, scored and ranked by Cures Within Reach staff, the Grant Review Committee and our SAB before funding decisions are made. PIs are notified of the funding decision approximately 8-10 weeks after the proposal submission deadline.
Do you know anyone who may be eligible to apply for a ReGRoW grant?
Do you know anyone who may want to volunteer for the ReGRoW pilot?
Do you want to stay up-to-date with announcements, reminders, and volunteer opportunities about the ReGRoW?
Additional Information
The ReGRoW program funds proof-of-concept clinical trials, of any design, that can determine whether or not a repurposed therapy may have a direct and positive impact on patients. We accept project proposals with budgets that are US$60,000 or less, or that have budgets greater than US$60,000 and have already received funding from other sources and are looking for additional funding sources.
More About Cures Within Reach
CWR improves patient quality and length of life by leveraging the speed, safety and cost-effectiveness of medical repurposing research, driving more treatments to more patients more quickly. We are a philanthropic leader in drug, device, and nutraceutical repurposing research, which has the potential to transform the lives of patients with unsolved diseases by delivering treatments that can be used in the near-term. Learn more by visiting:
Our Current Research Portfolio