Projects

Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium

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

Global Health

Latest project updates

First Preschool-Aged Child Treated with the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium’s New Pediatric Treatment for Schistosomiasis
Technology transfer of new pediatric treatment option for schistosomiasis advances in Brazil
New pediatric treatment option for preschoolers with schistosomiasis now included in WHO List of Prequalified Medicines

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.

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partners since 2021

12 years

duration of the program

Remco de Vrueh, PhD
Partnership Director
"Key to a successful partnership are trust, communication, a common goal and proper governance."
Mats Hallie, MSc
Associate Partnership Manager
"When asked about the essence of life, people answer with the story of their own journey."

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

14 November 2016

Attention for PEDPZQ Consortium in German newspapers

On October 19, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announced the donation to the World Health Organization (WHO) of the 500 millionth tablets to treat schistosomiasis in African countries. In particular, members from Consortium partners, Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) and SCI (Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, UK) together with representatives from WHO (World Health Organization) and the Ministry of Health of Ivory Coast jointly announced the launch of the distribution of Praziquantel (Cesol(r) 600 mg) in Ivory Coast through a celebration held at the primary school of the village of Attinguie, nearby Abidjan.

12 October 2016

Schistosomiasis Control Initiative and Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium join forces in the fight against schistosomiasis

PRESS RELEASE

Goal is to make a child-friendly treatment for schistosomiasis accessible to children under six years of age in endemic countries

Utrecht, The Netherlands, October 12, 2016 – UK-based Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI), part of Imperial College London, is reinforcing the international non-profit Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium. The aim of the Consortium is to develop, register and make available a new child-friendly praziquantel formulation for the more than 25 million preschool-age children suffering from schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease endemic in most of Sub-Saharan Africa. This age group currently lacks a suitable treatment.

10 October 2016

Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium launches new website

Today, the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium launches its new website. The website, with an up-to-date look & feel, is designed to help you learn more about the Consortium. We will be posting frequent updates, so check back regularly.

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