ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Jun, 2026) In a monumental achievement for the nation’s scientific community, the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry has awarded its coveted Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon prize for 2026 to the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Network, which comprises researchers from seven countries.
The Pakistani team of the NTD-network was led by renowned Pakistani scientist, Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH.
The award recognizes the consortium’s groundbreaking work on the “Development of new tools to deliver the identification, and chemical and genetic validation, of multiple new drug targets for leishmaniasis and Chagas’ disease.” This global recognition marks a historic milestone for Pakistani science on the world stage.
The Pakistani contingent, a driving force behind this international collaboration, is led by the distinguished Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, a Mustafa (pbuh) Prize Laureate and the Coordinator General, OIC-COMSTECH.
The team from the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, includes Prof Dr Sammer Yousuf and Dr Saba Farooq, representing the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry and the Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research.
This international project, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and led by Durham University, UK, unites leading scientists from the UK, Uruguay, India, Brazil, Argentina, and Pakistan. Together, they are combating protozoan NTDs that affect millions of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The Horizon Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry celebrates groups, teams, and collaborations, making discoveries that push the boundaries of science.
It highlights exciting, contemporary chemical science at the cutting edge of research and innovation, opening up new directions and possibilities in their field through ground-breaking scientific developments.
This achievement is a proud moment not just for the scientists involved but for the entire nation, solidifying Pakistan’s reputation as a key player in global scientific collaborations, innovation and drug discovery.
