GlaxoSmithKline ups albendazole worm drug donation

Britain's biggest drug maker already supplies 600m albendazole tablets a year to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to treat a disease caused by a parasite transmitted between humans by mosquitoes.




Under the commitment announced today alongside WHO's first report on neglected tropical diseases, Glaxo will, from 2012, supply a further 400m albendazole pills a year over five years to de-worm children in Africa.

Andrew Witty, Glaxo chief executive, said supplying 1bn tablets annually will cost the company £12m a year and it will increase capacity through new investments in its factories in South Africa and India.

He added the extra supply meant that "albendazole will impact the most people in the world of any medicine we manufacture".

Combined with existing de-worming programmes, the extra supply should enable universal coverage of school-age children in Africa.

Dr Margaret Chan, WHO director-general said: "The Glaxo donation means that many millions more will benefit as part of a strategy that can break the cycle of poverty, ill-health, poor school performance, and lost productivity."

Mr Witty said he hoped the WHO report heralded "a new momentum in the fight against neglected tropical disease and I know there is a real appetite amongst my industry colleagues to play a full part".

Via

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/8062194/GlaxoSmithKline-ups-albendazole-worm-drug-donation.html