Combatting Diseases, Ending Poverty, Uplifting Underserved Communities
Discover Us
Combatting Diseases, Ending Poverty, Uplifting Underserved Communities
Discover Us
Through advanced research and strategic solutions, we combat the dual challenges of poverty and health, aiming to break the cycle and ensure an equitable future for marginalized communities.
This is a story of promising hope and health for millions vulnerable to malaria and other diseases of poverty.
The genesis of Landcent was marked by a deep-seated commitment to health equity. In 2010, while on a business trip in Kenya, Arun found himself at a small, solemn gathering that would pivot the course of his career and life. He was attending the funeral of a 4-year-old girl who had succumbed to malaria—a disease transmitted by a mere mosquito bite. This experience unveiled the grim reality of malaria’s impact, particularly on young lives in developing countries. Deeply moved by this encounter and the devastating impact of malaria, Arun and Huali (Danny) Lin were inspired to act, founding Landcent with a renewed purpose to combat this deadly disease.
Arun and Danny's partnership was forged in a shared vision to change the global landscape of disease prevention. In 2016, in collaboration with the prestigious Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC),
Landcent set up a joint laboratory to enhance research and development in communicable disease control in Africa. This partnership leveraged SIOC's rich history of medical breakthroughs, including their work with Nobel laureate Tu Youyou on developing artemisinin. Landcent expanded its research capabilities through a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2020, focusing on discovering new 'active ingredients' from natural compounds to combat malaria globally.
The Origin Story
Journey through time; Key mile stones & evetns
Key Insights
Obtained WHO GCDPP membership, and initiated development of anti-malarial pills and repellents.
Landcent was founded by Huali (Danny) Lin & Arun Prabhu to revolutionize malaria prevention and lead innovation.
Obtained Hi-Tech Enterprise Certificate and partnered with Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (known for Artemisinin discovery).
Initiates Phase 1 screening and evaluation of compounds with Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Product tested in real-time field settings with a residual effect of 17-22 months, surpassing competitors by twice the duration.
Global Finalist (Winner) in Accelerate2030, a program founded by UNDP and Impact Hub Geneva.
Secured the second Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant and submitted data to WHO for items in the WHO development pipeline.
Commenced Discussions with WHO as part of a comprehensive malaria strategy.
Secured MVP filed first patent and partnered with Donghua University.
Secured Pre-A investment from China CSC Group, launched the ‘Landcent Engineering and Technology Center’, and established a joint lab with the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry.
Secured a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a project aimed at discovering active ingredients from natural compounds.
Initiated field trials and toxicology reviews for products in the WHO approval process; conducted clinical studies on the anti-malarial pill and established Landcent Europe B.V.
Prepared data from Vector Control Phase I, II, & III trials with partner labs in East Africa, West Africa, and Asia.
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Our Team
Huali (Danny) Lin
CEO, Landcent China
Danny Lin is the Co-founder & Managing Director of Landcent Group of Companies. Danny is an EMBA from Shanghai JiaoTong University, prior to which he did his graduate studies in International Business.
Danny has travelled extensively in Africa, witnessing first-hand the challenges of various diseases of poverty and subsequently co-founded Landcent to contribute to better health management and sustainable medicine in Africa. Previously, Danny was part of the core team in Shenzhen HuijieCo. Ltd., a publicly listed company.
Arun Prabhu
CEO, Landcent Europe
Arun Prabhu is the Co-founder & CEO of Landcent Europe. Arun spearheads Landcent’s numerous engagements with the WHO and is the point of contact for health ministries in several countries who are looking to scale their fight against infectious diseases. Arun comes with a background in technical textiles and supply chain management, working previously in Retail Store Backend Services (RSBS) for big-box retailers in the US.
Dr. Jiang Biao serves as the Chief Scientist at Landcent and holds one of the highest positions at Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry which comes under the China Academy of Sciences, the national think tank of China. He also serves as the Director of SARI (Shanghai Advanced Research Institute) and leads the CAS Innovation Cooperation Center for the ASEAN countries.
Dr. Jiang Biao
Chief Scientific Officer (China)
Dr. Ole is referred to as the father of treated bednets and was instrumental in inventing the long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets that are used worldwide in preventing vector-borne diseases. He is a shareholder at Landcent and plays an active role in product development, manufacturing scalability and most importantly, overseeing the field trials. Dr. Ole has published several theoretical and practical articles related to vector control and is a member of the Society for Vector Ecology, American Chemical Society, Entomological Society of America and more.
Dr. Ole Skovmand
Technical Head
Dr. Peter Atadja is the Chief Scientific Officer at Landcent and full Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Ghana. He has about 25 years' experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, including being part of the founding and leadership team of Novartis' 3rd largest global R&D centre located in Shanghai, China, where he led the discovery and clinical translation of several first and best-in-class drug candidates. More recently, he was co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of K36 Therapeutics, a clinical phase biopharmaceutical company in Cambridge, MA, USA.
Dr. Peter Atadja
Chief Scientific Officer (Europe)
Dr. Svetlana Randle is a seasoned senior researcher with extensive R&D expertise, particularly in Vector control. Formerly associated with the Innovative Vector Control Consortium, a prominent Partnership in the development program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she also served as a consultant to the WHO pre-qualification team, offering technical insights for product reviews. With over 10 years at Unilever, she held roles as a scientist and later as a Team Leader. Dr. Randle earned her PhD and completed post-doctoral work at the University of Manchester.
Dr. Svetlana Randle
Director, Discovery & Innovation
Dr. Mei Wang is the founder and CEO of SU Biomedicine and the founder of Leiden University – European Center for Chinese Medicine and Natural Compounds (LUECCM). She has more than 160 publications in international double-refereed journals and has worked in cooperation with leading universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Yale and Regensburg University. In 2020, she obtained the 2nd prize for International Contribution Award of Traditional Chinese Medicine- Science and Technology Progress Award WFCMS.
Dr. Mei Wang
Chief Advisor
Kailash Raghuwanshi has been with Landcent for six years as a Board member and, for the past two years, as Director, playing a key role in its global expansion. He currently leads strategic initiatives, including philanthropic partnerships like a Gates Foundation-funded project for exploring ovel compounds from traditional Chinese medicine. He actively involved in Southeast Asia’s early-stage venture ecosystem and with landcent delved into antimicrobial new materials. he began his career at New York State Hospital and graduated from Stony Brook University, New York.
Kailash Raghuwanshi
Director, Strategic Initiatives
Poverty-related Diseases (PRDs)
The expanding category of poverty-related diseases.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 60% of all people in extreme poverty, more than any other region in the world. Poverty is not merely the absence of money, but the lack of sanitation, unsafe drinking water, poor nutrition, weak health systems and other social determinants of health.
PRDs is a large category of diseases including the 'Big 3' - Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and NTDs (Neglected Tropical Diseases) and increasingly, NCDs (Non-communicable Diseases) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
Malaria
In 2022, the WHO African Region bore 94% of global malaria cases (233 million) and 95% of malaria deaths (580,000), with children under 5 accounting for 80% of these deaths.
Tuberculosis
1.6 million people died from tuberculosis in 2021. TB is the second most prevalent infectious killer in the world after COVID-19 (above HIV/AIDS). There were 10.6 million cases of TB worldwide in 2021.
HIV
In 2021, 38.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV. In the WHO African Region, nearly 1 in 25 adults (3.4%) live with HIV, accounting for more than two-thirds of all HIV-positive people globally.