$8.9M neglected tropical disease research boost

The Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease Control has announced the award of an $8.9 million grant through the intermediary of Switzerland-headquartered Geneva Global Inc. The funds, the largest single amount offered by the organization, are destined for a campaign to eliminate or control seven "neglected" tropical diseases in Rwanda and Burundi.

The GNNTDC has a short-term "rapid impact" program over a five-year period, which involves the mass distribution of four drugs (Marketletter September 18, 2006): GlaxoSmithKline's albendazole; Merck & Co's Mectizan (ivermectin); Pfizer's Zithromax (azithromycin); and Bayer's praziquantel. Alan Fenwick, head of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College, UK, told the Marketletter that, before deciding which drugs to deploy, "what needs to be done is to elucidate which neglected diseases are prevalent in the area." Prof Fenwick added that schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis are among the diseases being targeted by the campaign.

Although the GNNTDC receives donations of some of the medicines directly from drugmakers, Prof Fenwick said that part of the $8.9 million grant would be used to purchase praziquantel.