Recent news
February 2012
MMV announces delivery of 100 million treatments of child-friendly malaria drug
February 22, 2012 --This week, GHTC member Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) announced that more than 100 million child-friendly malaria treatments have been delivered to 39 malaria-endemic countries since 2009. MMV partnered with Novartis in 2003 to begin research and development (R&D) for a drug to address the need for more pediatric medicines to treat the disease. In Africa, children are disproportionately affected by the disease with 86 percentof deaths from malaria occurring in children under the age of five. The development of this child-friendly drug, called Coartem® Dispersible, represents a key success story in R&D for malaria.
“Never before have 100 million paediatric treatments been distributed in such a short time frame to assist children suffering from malaria. Today, we have proved that partnerships can succeed in not only developing new, high-quality medicines for malaria, but also delivering these to vulnerable populations. This success only increases our determination to address remaining unmet medical needs by bringing forward new antimalarial medicines as our part in defeating this disease,” said MMV CEO David Reddy in a press release.
"The success of Coartem® Dispersible shows why research and development is at the heart of the British Government's fight against malaria,” said Stephen O’Brien, Under-Secretary of State for International Development in the United Kingdom. “Product development partnerships, such as Medicines for Malaria Venture, bring together the public and private sectors to use their combined expertise to develop new drugs. Children are the most vulnerable to this deadly disease. By developing this paediatric treatment, Medicines for Malaria Venture and Novartis have given the hope of a healthier life to millions of the world's poorest children.”
Coartem® Dispersible is the first child-friendly artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT) that has received prequalification from the World Health Organization. The treatment is sweet-tasting and dissolves easily in water, making it easier to administer for children and ensuring a more effective and accurate treatment.
- Read the official press release here
