Novartis delivers 4.7 million treatments of anti-malarial medicine to Tanzania on Africa Malaria Day

• Malaria is leading cause of death in children and adults in Tanzania
• Novartis reinforces commitment to deliver its anti-malarial, Coartem®, without profit, to patients living in malaria-endemic countries
• In 2006, Novartis shipped 62 million treatments of Coartem contributing to saving an estimated 200 000 patient lives
• Novartis calls for enhanced dialogue between public and private sectors to reach even more people with lifesaving treatment

 

April 25, 2007 - Novartis has delivered 4.7 million treatments of its life-saving anti-malaria medicine, Coartem®, to the United Republic of Tanzania, an African country where malaria is the leading cause of death in both children and adults. This delivery is part of a larger global effort to provide access to Coartem without profit to patients living in malaria-endemic countries.

Malaria affects between 300 million to 500 million people each year and kills more than one million people every year. The company urges governments, companies and other organizations to work together to broaden access and remove cultural or educational hindrances to treatment.

Novartis delivered 62 million treatments of Coartem® in 2006, without profit, to the public sector of malaria-endemic countries in Africa, a seven-fold increase from the previous year. These treatments contributed to saving an estimated 200 000 lives that would have otherwise been lost to malaria. In 2007, Novartis has the capacity to produce 100 million treatments if timely orders are received.

Coartem is the first pre-qualified, fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) with cure rates of up to 95%, even in areas of multi-drug resistance.

Tanzania designated Coartem as first-line therapy in its national malaria-control guidelines in 2004. During 2006 when the new treatment policy with Coartem® was implemented in the country, Novartis delivered more than 8 million Coartem treatments to Tanzania. According to health authorities, malaria infects up to 18 million people in Tanzania every year. Novartis has partnered with the Tanzanian government and other organizations to expand access to this life-saving treatment.

 

Fighting malaria on the ground

The shipment of 4.7 million treatments of Coartem® was loaded on eleven trucks and driven from Switzerland to Belgium, where it was flown to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This action is the latest example of the commitment of significant resources by Novartis for local anti-malaria projects across Africa.

Since 2003, Novartis has served as a convening partner inviting scientists, policy makers and implementers to address barriers to roll out ACT therapy. Most recently, the company implemented three best practice workshops, attended by heads of national malaria control programs of African countries that have adopted ACTs as first-line therapy, or are considering switching to ACTs from ineffective therapies. Patient and healthcare provider compliance programs are also emphasized which include pictorial manuals with step-by-step instructions on dosage.These manuals are available in English, French, Swahili, Portuguese, Spanish and dominant local languages.

In Tanzania, the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development and its partners have addressed additional access obstacles. In two Tanzanian districts, the Foundation has carried out malaria awareness programs to encourage patients to seek appropriate and timely treatment. The programs also aim to strengthen the proper diagnosis and treatment in public health facilities and support the geographic extension of accredited drug dispensing outlets. Novartis has agreed on a pilot basis to supply Coartem without profit to these outlets in order to improve access in remote rural areas.

 

Researching cures for the future

Novartis scientists also are working to discover the next generation of malaria medicines. In 2006, the company announced the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases would initiate research on malaria, in addition to current programs with dengue and tuberculosis. Research will focus on the development of a one-dose cure for Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria, and a curative course of treatment for Plasmodium vivax, the most frequent and widely distributed form of malaria.

Novartis is also working with the Medicines for Malaria Venture, a nonprofit foundation based in Geneva, to develop a new pediatric formulation of Coartem. The new formulation is expected to be introduced in 2008.

Professor Klaus M. Leisinger, President of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, said exploring new cultural and organizational strategies also is critical: “While it is important to continue to develop new medicines, supply treatments without profit and provide medical education support, sometimes it is not enough. This is why the Novartis Foundation has initiated field research to overcome cultural, institutional and attitudinal obstacles that hinder access to malaria medicine. This comprehensive commitment makes Novartis an industry leader in the fight against malaria.”