Novartis extends TB donation
pharmafile | July 14, 2009 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Africa, Novartis, TBÂ
Novartis has extended its tuberculosis (TB) drug donation programme to Tanzania.
Novartis has already delivered nearly 250,000 TB treatments to Tanzania between 2005 and 2008 and, with the new Memorandum of Understanding, Novartis committed to extend the donation, delivering another 250,000 treatments over the next 3-4 years.
The new donation is worth about $6 million and aimed to treat an estimated 60,000 patients per year.
Daniel Vasella, chief executive of Novartis, has also discussed with President Kikwete the ongoing Novartis commitment to improve access to medicines for patients in developing countries.
Activities run by Novartis and its foundation range from research projects to drug donations, social marketing programmes and training of healthcare staff in various disease areas such as malaria, leprosy, and TB.
Klaus Leisinger, chief executive of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, who was also present at the meeting, addressed the role of the national government, which is crucial in improving access to healthcare.
TB, a highly infectious disease, continues to claim nearly two million victims per year mostly in developing countries.
The disease is very complex to treat, requiring a combination of drugs administered over six to eight months. A lack of patient compliance during this lengthy period has led to the emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB.
Dr Vasella said: "No single player can be successful. To make a meaningful and sustainable impact for patients in the developing world, governments, international institutions, industry, and civil society must join forces."
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