Introducing the press release of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund).

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"Phase III study of schistosomiasis pediatric drug" allapraziquantel "by the pediatric praziquantel consortium has been completed. Good results are obtained in terms of efficacy and safety."

Phase III trial of Arpraziquantel, a pediatric formulation for schistosomiasis by the Praziquantel Consortium for Children, which has been supported by the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) for about 9 years since 2013 Completed with good efficacy and safety results. This arapradicantel is expected to become a new treatment option for schistosomiasis in more than 50 million preschool children, mainly in Africa.

• Schistosomiasis : One of the most prevalent parasite diseases in sub-Saharan South Africa, caused by a parasite called schistosomiasis. It is a disease that prevails in poorly sanitized areas, primarily due to lack of safe drinking water, affecting approximately 240 million people and is estimated to kill approximately 200,000 people annually. Parasites live in freshwater shellfish and invade and infect humans through the skin. The disease can cause chronic inflammation of the organs, which is not only fatal, but also causes anemia, dysgenesis, learning disabilities, and can have devastating consequences for the lives of young children. .. Developed in the 1970s and now the standard treatment, Praziquantel is safe and effective and can be used for adults and school-aged children, but for preschoolers the size of the tablets is large. Due to its bitter taste, it is difficult to take, and there are problems such as the inability to crush and administer tablets. Currently, about 55 million children are left untreated, mainly because there is no suitable formulation for preschool children. Against this background, Praziquantel for Pediatrics is a global goal for 2030 aimed at the prevention, management, control and eradication of NTDs promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The necessity is stated in the 2030 Roadmap (commonly known as the NTDs Roadmap).

1. The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium is an international non-profit partnership that addresses the medical needs of preschool infected children with the aim of reducing the global burden of schistosomiasis. The consortium includes Merck (Germany), Astellas Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan), Swiss Institute for Tropical Public Health (Swiss TPH) (Switzerland), Ligature (Netherlands), Falmanginho (Brazil), SCI Foundation (UK), KEMRI / Kenya Institute of Medicine (Kenia), Felix Ufe Boigni University (Côte d'Ivoire), Munich Institute of Technology (Germany), Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Health, African Institute of Health Development (Kenia) are participating. The consortium's mission is to develop, register and provide medical access to pediatric praziquantel formulations suitable for the treatment of schistosomiasis in preschool children. Click here for details.