The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium
We are an international public-private partnership that aims to reduce the global disease burden of schistosomiasis by addressing the medical needs of infected children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years. By doing so, we hope to contribute to the ongoing efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis and improve child health.
The impacts of schistosomiasis on child health development
What is schistosomiasis?
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects an estimated 250 million people worldwide. It is one of the most important tropical diseases in terms of public health burden and economic impact. The existing ‘standard of care’ treatment for schistosomiasis is praziquantel, which is made available through mass drug administration programs to adults and school-aged children. It is, however, not suitable for children six years of age and younger. As such, around 50 million preschool-aged children currently lack adequate treatment. We are working to fill this treatment gap.
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Vision
Our vision is to reduce the global disease burden of schistosomiasis by addressing the medical needs of infected preschool-aged children, including infants and toddlers. -
Mission
Our mission is to develop, register, and provide access to a suitable pediatric praziquantel formulation for treating schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children.
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Development & registration program
The Consortium established a pediatric drug development program, divided into three major steps: preclinical development, clinical development, and registration & access. -
Access program
The Consortium is developing an Access strategy by exploring new procurement and business models and conducting implementation research to ensure the new pediatric treatment is available free of charge to the young patients in need.