Merck Commemorates 30 Years of MECTIZAN® Donation Program Progress
November 30 2017 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Program Expanded to Reach Additional 100
Million People Annually for Lymphatic Filariasis in Support of New,
Evidence-Based WHO Guidelines
Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada, today announced an expansion of the MECTIZAN® Donation
Program (MDP) to reach up to an additional 100 million people per
year through 2025 as part of the global effort to eliminate
lymphatic filariasis (LF).
Through the MDP, established by Merck in 1987, Merck donates
MECTIZAN® (ivermectin) for onchocerciasis (river blindness) in all
affected areas (Latin America, Africa, Yemen) and for LF in African
countries where it co-exists with river blindness.
LF, also known as elephantiasis, is a parasitic disease
transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes. Over time,
infection can impair the lymphatic system leading to severe
swelling of the limbs and genitals resulting in severe disability
and social stigma. One of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs),
it is present in 72 countries worldwide.
Recent studies funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
and supported by Merck showed that adding ivermectin to the
treatment regimen used in LF endemic countries where there is no
river blindness can accelerate the time needed to achieve
elimination of LF. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently
published new guidelines outlining this approach, prompting Merck’s
decision to expand the geographic reach of the MDP to include areas
outside of Africa. Merck and the MDP will work with the WHO,
national LF programs and other stakeholders to develop a mechanism
to enable national programs and their partners to deploy the
additional donation.
“LF is on the short list of diseases that are targeted for
elimination in the World Health Organization’s Roadmap on Neglected
Tropical Diseases,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief
executive officer, Merck. “With the evidence put forward in the
WHO’s new guidelines, we’re expanding the MECTIZAN® Donation
Program to bring improved health and hope to millions of people as
we work toward the day when LF is no longer a threat.”
Through the MDP and its partners, including endemic countries,
NGOs, the WHO, the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Department for International Development
(DFID) and other donors and implementation organizations, more than
250 million people in 32 countries are reached each year for river
blindness and LF. Since the inception of the program in 1987, Merck
has donated more than 2.8 billion treatments for both diseases.
About the MECTIZAN® Donation Program
The MECTIZAN® Donation Program (MDP) was established at the Task
Force for Global Health in 1987 to provide medical, technical and
administrative oversight of the donation of MECTIZAN® by Merck for
the treatment of onchocerciasis. In 1998, the MDP expanded its
mandate to include oversight of the donation of albendazole by GSK
to be distributed in conjunction with MECTIZAN® for the elimination
of lymphatic filariasis in onchocerciasis co-endemic areas.
About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global
biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States
and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines
and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies
and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in
more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We
also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care
through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today,
Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the
prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and
communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic
diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and
infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information,
visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J.,
U.S.A. (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within
the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s
management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or
uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially
from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general
industry conditions and competition; general economic factors,
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations;
the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care
legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends
toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new
products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent
in new product development, including obtaining regulatory
approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market
conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial
instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other
protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory
actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2016
Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s
Internet site (www.sec.gov).
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005086/en/
MerckMedia:Doris Li, 908-740-1903Jeanine Clemente,
908-740-6268orInvestors:Teri Loxam, 908-740-1986Amy Klug,
908-740-1898orMECTIZAN® Donation Program:Joni Lawrence,
404-687-5610Yao Sodahlon, 404-371-1460
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024