Newsroom
Bringing Stakeholders Together at International Meetings
Members of the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium have been present at various international meetings lately presenting the work of the Consortium to research and funding partners.
COR-NTD annual meeting
The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium organized a session within the annual meeting of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) in October and provided an update on the work of the Consortium. Following completion of the clinical development program, the focus is now on regulatory processes and development of an innovative sustainable access path.
Together with partners from Merck, the Ministry of Health in Uganda, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and delegates from the University of California San Francisco, knowledge gaps were identified, and next steps recommended for making the potential new pediatric treatment option accessible to the populations in need in Africa, once registered.
Learning from partners
Key developments in schistosomiasis diagnosis and control were presented. These included the publication of the new guideline of the World Health Organization on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis and progress with precision mapping to support better targeting of preventive chemotherapy. Examples of treatment interventions on other diseases provided insights on the large-scale targeting of pediatric populations outside of schistosomiasis.
Possible positive impact beyond schistosomiasis
Future introduction of the potential new pediatric treatment option into mass drug administration in Uganda was discussed. This evaluation indicated that this approach might not only strengthen schistosomiasis control and reduce the disease burden but could also increase collaboration and coordination between neglected tropical diseases and other child health related programs in the country.
The discussions at the COR-NTD meeting identified a number of operational research and evidence needs that will subsequently be explored to move one step closer to the introduction of the potential pediatric treatment for the very young children in Africa, once approved.
Grand Challenges Meeting
The Grand Challenges Meeting brings together funding and research partners and was held in Brussels in October. Merck presented on behalf of the Consortium and highlighted the international partnership as an example of addressing unmet medical needs in infectious diseases.
The aim of the Consortium is not only to provide a suitable, child-friendly treatment for preschool-aged children but also to build capacity in the health systems of low- and middle-income countries to treat a neglected tropical infectious disease as a basis for addressing future challenges.
First conference on control strategies for schistosomiasis in Madagascar (CCSM)
Schistosomiasis is a major public health problem in Madagascar. This year, the first conference on control strategies for schistosomiasis was held in the country bringing together Malagasy stakeholders and policy makers as well as international experts.
On behalf of the Consortium, Merck introduced the program providing key updates. Consortium partner the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was also in attendance to present the research findings on the acceptance of a potential novel child-friendly drug in Uganda. The findings indicate that the drug is mostly welcome, but some groups are expected to be reluctant at first. Hence, sensitization is key and local diverse situations need to be considered and community leaders involved.
16th International Symposium on Schistosomiasis
Wrapping up a busy period of event attendance, the Consortium will also be present at the 16th International Symposium on Schistosomiasis in Brazil on 21-23 November. In addition to participating in round-table sessions, the Consortium will host a special presentation and panel discussion on the evening of Day 1 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Focus will also be given to highlighting the journey of the program, which is now in the regulatory phase and nearing the patients in need.
The session will be moderated by Rodrigo Corrêa Oliveira, Vice-President of Research and Biologic Collections at Fiocruz and will include presentations by Sérgio Andrade, Technical Consultant in Diseases and Schistosomiasis Elimination at the Brazil Ministry of Health; and Amadou Garba, Schistosomiasis Scientist at the World Health Organization. There will also be presentations by members of the Consortium from Merck and Farmanguinhos, and time will be made for questions and answers.