The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has granted $1.15m funding to a global public-private partnership (PPP), to develop a new pediatric formulation to fight schistosomiasis, commonly known as bilharzia, in preschool children.
Formed in July 2013 and coordinated by TI Pharma, the PPP consortium members include Merck KGaA, Astellas Pharma and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH).
Consortium Board chair and Merck Serono global drug development and medical head Annalisa Jenkins said, "There is an urgent need for the treatment of schistosomiasis in very young children, for whom there is currently no approved therapy."
The support of the Gates Foundation is a key step in moving forward with new options for this highly vulnerable population with the ultimate goal of elimination."
The consortium's aim is to introduce a suitable pediatric drug for preschool children, as the available standard recommended praziquantel treatment is in oral tablets for adults and children from the age of six, which is not ideal to be swallowed by younger ones.
Merck, one of the consortium partners, will use the funding to finance some significant R&D activities to bring the product up to the first clinical studies in man.
Ensuring participation of disease experts, including from countries affected, the fund will help in suitable product development for pediatric use.
Caused by parasitic worms, Schistosomiasis is a severe chronic inflammatory disease, which is an endemic in 78 developing nations, infecting over 243 million people every year across the world.
