Projects

Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium

Developing and providing a pediatric formulation of the drug praziquantel, to treat schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children

Latest project updates

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium targets preschool-aged children with schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that affects more than 240 million people worldwide. The consortium was established in July 2012 and uses an innovative R&D operating model that builds new partnerships as needed and shares development risks.

Partners
14

partners since 2021

Duration
12 years

duration of the program

About the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium

Praziquantel (PZQ), the gold standard treatment for schistosomiasis, is currently available in large oral tablets that are suitable only for adults and school-aged children. Due to the size of the tablet, its bitter taste, and a lack of clinical data, an appropriate treatment for very young children does not exist. The consortium addresses this issue and has developed a new orally disintegrating PZQ formulation known as arpraziquantel. With the full clinical development phase successfully completed in 2021, the program has entered the regulatory filing stage, while preparing for the potential delivery of arpraziquantel through the consortium’s dedicated access program, ADOPT. The consortium is supported by grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2013, the Global Health Initiative Technology Fund in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019 & 2021, and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) (2018 & 2021), under its second program supported by the European Union. Visit the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium website for more information about the program.

Bridging industry interests and societal needs

Lygature helped to set up the consortium and fulfills an independent ‘broker’ role, a key ingredient of successful public-private development partnerships. Reflecting the consortium’s position at the crossroad between industry and society, the contributions being made by Lygature from January 2016 include: 

  • Coordination and governance. As consortium coordinator, Lygature provides necessary governance in terms of monitoring progress, finance, IP management, and collaborations. In addition, it successfully takes the lead in fundraising to support the Development and Access programs (current total value: EUR 5m).  
     
  • Communication and dissemination . Lygature pro-actively coordinates the engagement with key stakeholders to share the consortium’s ambition to make a meaningful contribution to tropical medicine and health innovation in endemic countries. Responsibilities include (but are not limited to): presenting at (inter)national conferences; writing of (scientific) articles and news items; and development of the consortium’s communication strategy, website, and visual identity and social media management. 

The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium is an example of the Lygature mission to bring together public and private partners, and so to make a meaningful contribution to global health. The project relies heavily on Lygature’s expertise in both management and science. In addition, Lygature has helped to ensure that each partner’s needs, interests, and objectives are met.

Lygature together with

Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan) , Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute , Farmanguinhos, Unlimit Health, KEMRI, UFHB, Technischen Universität München, African Institute for Health and Development, Ministry of Health in Côte d’Ivoire, Ministry of Health in Kenya, Ministry of Health in Uganda, Makerere University School of Public Health

Project updates

  • 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. Read more

  • Technology transfer of new pediatric treatment option for schistosomiasis advances in Brazil

    Two Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium partners, Merck and the Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos (Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz) in Brazil, have announced in a local Press Release that their collaboration is leading to Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz becoming the first global producer of the Consortium’s new pediatric treatment option for schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children, between 3 months and 6 years of age. Read more

  • New pediatric treatment option for preschoolers with schistosomiasis now included in WHO List of Prequalified Medicines

    The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, which Lygature proudly coordinates, has announced another important milestone. Following the news last December of the positive scientific opinion by the European Medicines Agency of the Consortium’s new pediatric treatment option for preschool-aged children with schistosomiasis, the new treatment option has now been included in the World Health Organization’s List of Prequalified Medicines. Read more

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