Contribution of pharmaceutical companies to the control of neglected tropical diseases
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
GSK is expanding its donation of albendazole by 400 million tablets a year over the next 5 years starting in 2012. This additional donation mainly aims to treat children for intestinal worms and comes on top of the 600 million tablets of albendazole from GSK already being used in the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis. Combined, this latest increase brings to 1 billion the annual number of albendazole tablets donated by GSK.
Pfizer
Pfizer donates an unlimited quantity of azithromycin for trachoma.
sanofi-aventis
sanofi-aventis donates an unlimited quantity of eflornithine, melarsoprol and pentamidine for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). On 8 March 2011, the company renewed its agreement by contributing US$25 million over a period of 5 years (2011 - 2016) to support WHO's human African trypanosomiasis control programme. sanofi-aventis also supports control programmes for other difficult-to-treat diseases such as Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and yaws.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. donates an unlimited supply of ivermectin for as long as needed directly to countries for LF and onchocerciasis.
Novartis
Novartis extended its commitment in October 2010 to donate multidrug therapy (rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone in blister packs) and loose clofazimine to all leprosy patients worldwide until the end of 2015. The company also donates triclabendazole for the treatment of fascioliasis, an animal infection caused by parasitic flatworms that is transmitted to humans.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson donates 50 million tablets of mebendazole annually to children’s programmes for the control of soil-transmitted helminthiases. Under the programme, the company is expanding its donation of mebendazole to supply up to 200 million treatments per year for treatment of intestinal worms in children; the objective is to achieve coverage of 30–40 countries by 2015.
Bayer
On 4 March 2011, Bayer signed an agreement with WHO for the treatment of Chagas disease and human African trypanosomiasis. Under the terms of the 5 year extension starting April 2012, Bayer will increase the donation of nifurtimox from its current 2.5 million tablets over 5 years to 5 million tablets until 2017. The company, which also donates an unlimited quantity of suramin for HAT, announced the continuation of its cash contribution to fund logistics and distribution of medicines.
Merck KGaA
Merck KGaA is donating 200 million tablets of praziquantel for the control of schistosomiasis during 2008–2017.
Eisai Co., Ltd
Eisai will produce and supply to WHO up to 2.2 billion 100 mg tablets of diethylcarbamazine (generic name “DEC”), a medicine used to treat lymphatic filariasis. The programme will cover a six-year period between 2012 and 2017.