To: FOREIGN, HEALTH, AND NATIONAL EDITORS
Partners pledge innovative, coordinated action aimed at new World Health Organisation goals
LONDON, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, 13
pharmaceutical companies, the U.S., U.K. and U.A.E governments, the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and other global
health organisations announced a new, coordinated push to accelerate
progress toward eliminating or controlling 10 neglected tropical
diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade.
Uniting efforts with NTD-endemic countries, partners pledged to bring
a unique focus to defeating these diseases and to work together to
improve the lives of the 1.4 billion people worldwide affected by
NTDs, most of whom are among the world's poorest.
In the largest coordinated effort to date to combat NTDs, the group
announced at an event at the Royal College of Physicians that they
would: sustain or expand existing drug donation programs to meet
demand through 2020; share expertise and compounds to accelerate
research and development of new drugs; and provide more than US$785
million to support R&D efforts and strengthen drug distribution and
implementation programmes. Partners also endorsed the "London
Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases," in which they pledged new
levels of collaborative effort and tracking of progress.
"Today, we have joined together to increase the impact of our
investments and build on the tremendous progress made to date," said
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This
innovative approach must serve as a model for solving other global
development challenges and will help millions of people build
self-sufficiency and overcome the need for aid." The Gates Foundation
announced a five-year, US$363 million commitment to support NTD
product and operational research.
To guide the effort against NTDs, the World Health Organisation (WHO)
this week unveiled a new strategy, Accelerating work to overcome the
global impact of neglected tropical diseases-A roadmap for
implementation, that sets targets for what can be achieved by the end
of the decade.
"The efforts of WHO, researchers, partners, and the contributions of
industry have changed the face of NTDs. These ancient diseases are now
being brought to their knees with stunning speed," said Dr. Margaret
Chan, Director-General of the WHO. "With the boost to this momentum
being made today, I am confident almost all of these diseases can be
eliminated or controlled by the end of this decade."
New commitments from partners will close the funding gap to eradicate
Guinea worm disease and expedite progress toward the 2020 goals of
elimination for lymphatic filariasis, blinding trachoma, sleeping
sickness and leprosy, and control of soil-transmitted helminthes,
schistosomiasis, river blindness, Chagas disease and visceral
leishmaniasis.
Speaking on behalf of the CEOs of the 13 pharmaceutical companies
involved, Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, said, "Many
companies and organisations have worked for decades to fight these
horrific diseases. But no one company or organisation can do it alone.
Today, we pledge to work hand-in-hand to revolutionize the way we
fight these diseases now and in the future."
With new and existing pledges totaled, companies will donate an
average of 1.4 billion treatments each year to those in need,
according to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA). In addition, new research and
development collaborative efforts and access agreements with 11
companies and the R&D organisation Drugs for Neglected Diseases
initiative (DNDi) are providing unprecedented access to compound
libraries that could lead to new treatments. These commitments will
work in parallel with other efforts to speed the development of
critical NTD treatments, including WIPO Re:Search, a database of
research compounds, knowledge and expertise.
To close the funding gap for Guinea worm eradication, His Highness
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab
Emirates, the Gates Foundation, and the Children's Investment Fund
Foundation, will donate US$40 million to The Carter Center. These
commitments complement an October pledge from the U.K. Department for
International Development (DFID) that it would contribute pounds 20
million if others come forward-part of a four-year, pounds 195 million
commitment to NTDs announced by DFID last week.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also announced
an $89 million appropriation by the U.S. Congress to strengthen drug
delivery and distribution programmes, building on its US$212 million
investment since 2006. In addition, the World Bank will extend its
financing and technical support to help African countries build
stronger community health systems that will integrate NTD elimination
and control, as well as work with other partners to expand a trust
fund to combat river blindness to other preventable NTDs in Africa.
"The world has come together to end the neglect of these horrific
diseases which needlessly disable, blind and kill millions of the
world's poorest," said Stephen O'Brien, U.K. Minister for
International Development. "Britain and other partners are leading the
way to provide critical treatments to millions of people, which allow
children to attend school and parents to provide for their families so
that they can help themselves out of poverty and eventually no longer
rely on aid."
Today's pledges and Declaration come in response to WHO's 2010 report,
Working to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases,
which called for new resources to overcome NTDs. Representatives from
the pharmaceutical industry, the Gates Foundation and other partners
worked during the past year to develop this expanded, coordinated
effort.
The governments of Bangladesh, Brazil, Mozambique and Tanzania, where
NTDs are endemic, announced that they would implement integrated plans
to defeat NTDs and devote political and financial resources to combat
these diseases. All partners pledged accountability by exploring
mechanisms to regularly track progress toward the 2020 goals.
"From the moment the evidence of the very heavy burden of NTDs in
Mozambique was understood, the government of Mozambique has taken
action and continuously increased its commitment and investment to
control or eliminate these diseases," said Dr. Alexandre Manguele,
Minister of Health of Mozambique. "With the resources pledged today in
the context of this partnership the government of Mozambique feels
ever more assured that the mission can be accomplished."
SPECIFIC PARTNER COMMITMENTS ANNOUNCED TODAY INCLUDE:
Sustaining, Expanding and Extending Drug Supply :
-- All companies with NTD drug donation programs pledged to sustain or
extend their programs to the end of the decade, and some pledged to
increase their commitments. These commitments include the following:
Sanofi, Eisai and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will work
together to provide 120 million DEC tablets to the WHO for their
Global Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination programme. Combined with
Eisai's donation commitment that will start in 2014, these new tablets
will ensure a sufficient supply of DEC from 2012 through 2020. Bayer
will double its existing donation of nifurtimox to treat Chagas
disease. Eisai will extend its existing donation of 2.2 billion
tablets of DEC for LF to 2020. Gilead, which announced a donation of
AmBisome for visceral leishmaniasis in 2011, will continue its program
to offer VL at cost and commit to investigate and invest in
technologies and processes that could reduce that cost in
resource-limited countries. GlaxoSmithKline will extend its existing
donation of albendazole to treat soil-transmitted helminthes by
providing 400 million tablets per year for an additional five years to
2020, as well as continuing its donation of 600 million tablets per
year to combat lymphatic filariasis. Johnson & Johnson will extend its
existing donation of mebendazole for soil-transmitted helminthes by
providing 200 million tablets per year to 2020. MSD will continue its
unlimited donation of ivermectin to combat river blindness and
lymphatic filariasis (where co-endemic with river blindness), as well
as discuss the use of ivermectin to combat other diseases. Merck KGaA
will significantly increase its annual donation of praziquantel
tablets from 25 million to 250 million tablets per year, extending the
program indefinitely. Novartis will extend its commitment to provide
multi-drug therapy (rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone) to leprosy
patients worldwide in a final push against the disease. Pfizer will
continue its donation of azithromycin for blinding trachoma until at
least 2020, as well as donate the drug and placebo to a study on the
reduction in mortality of children treated with azithromycin. Sanofi
will extend its existing donation of eflornithine, melarsoprol and
pentamidine for sleeping sickness to 2020, as well as logistical
support to ensure that the drugs continue to reach patients at the
point of care cost-free.
Accelerating R&D for New Treatments:
-- Product development partnerships under the coordination of DNDi
with Abbott, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are underway to develop new
drugs to treat helminth infections, notably a macrofilaricide, which
kills adult worms that cause river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.
Abbott is conducting initial drug reformulation studies and providing
scientific expertise for preclinical development, with technical and
supply assistance from Johnson & Johnson. If pre-clinical development
is successful, Johnson & Johnson will co-fund clinical development,
and collaborate with other partners, including technical support from
Pfizer's staff scientists. J&J would obtain regulatory approval.
-- Innovative licensing or collaboration agreements with DNDi by 11
companies-Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai,
GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer and
Sanofi-are in negotiation or underway for the sharing of compounds and
knowledge in order to generate new drugs for diseases including river
blindness, lymphatic filariasis, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and
visceral leishmaniasis.
-- DNDi and Sanofi announced a product development collaboration to
co-develop a new drug candidate for sleeping sickness,
oxaborole/SCYX-7158, in addition to fexinidazole, which is already in
clinical development.
Increasing funding to improve drug product and operational research,
delivery and implementation programmes, including prevention,
monitoring and education:
-- Several partners announced US$40 million in new funding to The
Carter Center that will close the gap to eradicate Guinea worm. The
Gates Foundation will contribute US$23.3 million, His Highness Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates,
will contribute US$10 million and the Children's Investment Fund
Foundation will contribute US$6.7 million.
-- This funding complements pounds 20 million in funding from DFID,
announced last week as part of a pounds 195 million commitment through
2015, targeted at Guinea worm disease, lymphatic filariasis, river
blindness and schistosomiasis, as well as developing new programmes
for blinding trachoma, visceral leishmaniasis, research and integrated
country approaches.
-- The Gates Foundation announced a 5-year, US$363 million commitment
to overcome barriers to success and address critical gaps to achieve
the control and elimination of targeted NTDs by 2020.
-- USAID will continue support to over 20 countries to introduce
and/or scale up integrated NTD programs, including three new
countries: Mozambique, Senegal and Cambodia. The U.S. Congress
appropriated $89 million to USAID for NTD control in FY2012.
-- At the country level, the World Bank will extend its financing and
technical support to help countries build stronger community health
systems that will integrate NTD elimination and control. At the
regional level, the World Bank will continue fiduciary oversight of
the existing trust fund that supports the fight against river
blindness in Africa, and will also work with other partners to expand
the trust fund to eliminate or control preventable NTDs on the
continent.
-- Mundo Sano contributed US$5 million to expand work in NTD control
and program enhancement for selected sites in the Americas and Africa.
-- The Government of Mozambique announced specific goals for NTD
control and elimination in endemic areas of the country, including:
Reaching full geographic coverage of all endemic areas for lymphatic
filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthes and schistosomiasis Completely
mapping and reaching full geographic coverage of trachoma by 2018
Building capacity for surveillance and action to sustain gains from
mass drug administration programs
-- The Governments of Brazil, Tanzania, Bangladesh and other
NTD-endemic countries announced implementation of fully integrated or
coordinated plans to control and eliminate NTDs in their countries.
-- Three pharmaceutical companies-Merck KGaA, Novartis and Sanofi-
will organize and provide funding to support prevention, monitoring,
education and intensified disease control efforts.
-- Lions Clubs International announced US$6.9 million in funding to
support the Government of China in efforts to eliminate blinding
trachoma by 2017.
Coordinating and measuring NTD commitments : Industry partners pledged
to work together toward the achievement of the 2020 goals. Based on
the WHO roadmap, partners will follow collective progress through a
scorecard that will regularly and formally track progress including
whether participating organisations are meeting their supply,
research, funding and implementation commitments to work toward the
2020 goals. This process will ensure accountability and transparency
and identify remaining gaps.
Speakers at today's event at the Royal College of Physicians include:
-- Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organisation
-- Bill Gates , Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
-- Stephen O'Brien, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, UK
Department for International Development
-- Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health,
US Agency for International Development
-- Dr. Jorg Reinhardt, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer
HealthCare AG
-- Lamberto Andreotti, Chief Executive Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb
-- Haruo Naito , President and CEO, Eisai
-- Sir Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer, GlaxoSmithKline
-- William Weldon , Chairman, Board of Directors and Chief Executive
Officer, Chairman, Executive Committee, Johnson & Johnson
-- Kenneth Frazier , Chairman of the Board, President and Chief
Executive Officer, MSD
-- Dr. Stefan Oschmann, Executive Board member, Merck KGaA, with
responsibility for the Pharmaceuticals business sector
-- Joseph Jimenez , Chief Executive Officer, Novartis
-- Christopher A. Viehbacher , Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi
-- Paul Carter , Senior Vice-President, International Commercial
Operations, Gilead
-- Dr. Bernard Pe coul, Executive Director, Drugs for Neglected
Diseases initiative
-- Dr. Caroline Anstey, Managing Director, World Bank
-- Dr. AFM Ruhal Haque, Minister of Health and Family Welfare,
Bangladesh
-- Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, Jr. , Vice Minister for Health
Surveillance, Ministry of Health, Brazil
-- Dr. Alexandre Lourenco Jaime Manguele, Minister of Health,
Mozambique
-- Dr. Donan Mmbando, Director of Preventive Services, Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania
A webcast of this event can be viewed at www.UnitingToCombatNTDs.org
For supplemental materials and information about the foundation's
work, please visit: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/gatesfoundation
SOURCE Global Health Strategies
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