Merck KGaA (FWB:MRK) (GER:MRK) announced today the conclusion of a
ten-year partnership with WHO to control schistosomiasis in African
schoolchildren. For this purpose, Merck will provide for free 200
million tablets Cesol(R) 600 (active ingredient praziquantel) with a
value of approximately USD 80 million.
"Schistosomiasis is one of the biggest health risks to African
children after malaria," said Elmar Schnee, Member of the Executive
Board, Merck KGaA, and Chief Executive Officer of Merck Serono. "With
approximately 80 million treatment cases in the coming decade, the
Merck-WHO partnership ensures the chance of a healthy life in
countries marked by diseases of poverty."
Elmar Schnee and Dr. Margaret Chan, the new Director-General of
the WHO, will sign the partnership agreement on the occasion of the
WHO Global Partners Meeting on Neglected Tropical Diseases on April 19
and 20, 2007 in Geneva. "Affordability of praziquantel has been an
immense hurdle for poor communities and the main obstacle to
implementing preventive anthelminthic chemotherapy in many African
countries," says WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan. "This
donation is a major step towards the achievement of WHO's Millennium
Development Goals(1) of poverty reduction and better health for all."
About Schistosomiasis (2)(3)
Schistosomiasis is the second most prevalent tropical disease in
Africa after malaria and is of great public health and socio-economic
importance in the developing world.
Schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health problem as
more than 200 million people are infected.
Almost 85% of those infected live in sub-Saharan Africa. Affected
are mostly children of school age, 6 - 15 years, but other high-risk
groups include women of child-bearing age, farmers and fishermen.
While the disease results in approximately 200,000 deaths
annually, its chronic nature reduces the capacity of those infected to
work. In children it causes anaemia, stunting and a reduced ability to
learn.
About Praziquantel
Praziquantel was co-developed 30 years ago by Merck KGaA and Bayer
in collaboration with the WHO. It is the most effective treatment of
schistosomiasis infection with a favourable safety profile, including
use in pregnancy, and is on the list of WHO Essential Medicines.(4)
Praziquantel is a safe and efficacious drug, which, through
regular and periodic treatment, especially in children of school age,
prevents the development of morbidity and long-term disability.
Praziquantel is an ideal drug for the strategy of preventive
chemotherapy where populations infected or at risk of infection or
morbidity due to worm diseases can be treated for all these infections
with a combination of safe and effective drugs, notably albendazole
and ivermectine that are already donated by other companies.
Under the provision of the Merck-WHO partnership, 200 million
tablets containing 600 mg praziquantel and available under the
trademark Cesol(R) 600 will be produced by Merck Mexico. Whereas
quality control and shipping costs are covered by Merck, local
distribution and administration to schoolchildren will be organized by
WHO and its member states.(5)
WHO and the Millennium Development Goals(1)
In September 2000, 189 Heads of State adopted the UN Millennium
Declaration, which was then translated into a roadmap setting out
goals to be reached by 2015. The eight Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) build on agreements made at United Nations conferences in the
1990s and represent commitments from both developed and developing
countries.
The Millennium Goals include challenges for rich and poor
countries alike. They set targets for developing countries to reduce
poverty and hunger, and to tackle ill health, gender inequality, lack
of education, lack of access to clean water and environmental
degradation. The MDGs also recognize potential contributions from
developed countries in the form of trade, assistance, and debt relief
as well as access to essential medicines and technology transfer.
With the adoption of the World Health Assembly resolution 54.19 in
2001, to provide regular treatment to at least 75% of children of
school age who are at risk of morbidity due to helminthic infections
by 2010, the member countries acknowledged the serious burden imposed
on poor and at-risk populations by schistosomiasis and
soil-transmitted helminths. The member countries further pledged to
improve the health of those at risk through deworming programmes and
providing better sanitation for their populations.
References
(1) http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
(2) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs115/en/
(3) http://www.who.int/wormcontrol/statistics/useful_info/en/
(4) http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/essentialmedicines
(5)http://www.who.int/bookorders/anglais/detart1.jsp?sesslan=1&cod
lan=1& codcol=15&codcch=690
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Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with sales
of EUR 6.3 billion in 2006, a history that began in 1668, and a future
shaped by about 35,000 employees (including Merck Serono) in 56
countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from
entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the
umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an
approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining
approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was
expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.
