News
First Preschool-Aged Child Treated with the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium’s New Pediatric Treatment for Schistosomiasis
The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, which Lygature proudly coordinates, has achieved a significant milestone with the first administration of its new pediatric treatment to a preschool-aged child in Uganda. This innovative therapy, designed specifically for children aged three months to six years, addresses a long-standing treatment gap for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease affecting millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa.
The new pediatric treatment, a 150 mg dispersible tablet, is child-friendly, palatable, and stable in tropical climates, making it ideal for endemic regions. It has received a positive scientific opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is included in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) List of Prequalified Medicines, with its addition to the WHO Essential Medicines List anticipated in 2025.
The rollout in Uganda is part of the Consortium’s ADOPT program, aimed at integrating the new pediatric treatment into healthcare systems and preparing for its broader introduction across sub-Saharan Africa, starting with Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal. This collaborative effort underscores the Consortium’s commitment to equitable and sustainable access to the new treatment, supporting global health goals.
“This milestone marks a critical step in closing the treatment gap for young children and advancing efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem,” stated Peter Steinmann, co-lead of the Consortium's ADOPT program from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.
Lygature’s role in the Consortium
Lygature played an instrumental role in setting up the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium. As a partner, Lygature provides partnership management and is in the lead for communication and dissemination.
Karin de Ruiter, Program Manager at LygatureWe are excited and proud that the first preschool-aged child has been treated with the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium’s new treatment.
Karin de Ruiter continues: "This milestone was achieved through successful collaboration between public and private partners in which Lygature, in its role as independent coordinator, has been able to make its mark on the Consortium for the past 13 years."
In the media
This milestone has been featured in various media outlets, highlighting the significance of the new child-friendly schistosomiasis treatment. Coverage includes:
- Trouw (in Dutch): Eindelijk een medicijn voor ‘vergeten’ ziekte
- Vereniging Innovatieve Geneesmiddelen (in Dutch): Medicijn ontwikkeld tegen ‘vergeten’ tropische ziekte
- C2W (in Dutch): Bittere pil nu makkelijker te slikken
- Devex: Uganda receives first pediatric drug for schistosomiasis. What's next?
Read more about Lygature’s involvement in the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium on our website.
Acknowledgment of support
The Consortium is financially supported by Merck; in-kind contributions from the Consortium’s partners; and grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2012), the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 & 2020), and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) (2018 & 2021), under its second program supported by the European Union.