- Novartis leprosy medicinedonation program with WHO extended to 2025
- Program has already treated over7 million patients since2000
- 从控制轨道和preventive treatment program shows route to accelerate elimination
Basel，January292021—A renewed partnership agreement signed by Novartis and the World Health Organization（WHO）will drive the global push towards making leprosy history。The five-year extension of the partnership–which was first signed in 2000–will see Novartis continue to donate multidrug therapy（MDT）medicines to treat leprosy up to the end of 2025。
Widespread use of MDT has led to a95%reduction in leprosy prevalence world-wide since its introduction the 1980s，though more than200000 cases are still seen every year。1个Despite the huge impact of MDT，governments，donors，civil society and the private sector will need to collaborate on deploying additional tools if the world is to get to zero leprosy。
“Leprosy can be cured and prevented.With a comprehensive approach，we can see the end of leprosy，”said Dr Lutz Hegemann，Chief Operating Officer for Global Health at Novartis.“By supplying this treatment free of charge to WHO over the last20years we have helped over seven millople of lesybe。We look forward to helping increasingly few over the coming years.”
Novartis is working with WHO and the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy–together with other stakeholders–to develop improved access to MDT globally.An additional future step seems certain to include the rollout of prophylaxis programs in affected countries.New evidence from a Novartis Foundation initiated program2covering170000 people across seven countries has shown that giving prophylactic treatment with a single dose of a low-cost and widely available antibiotic to contacts of people diagnosed with leprosy is feasible，generally well accepted and is likely to have a key role in accelerating the elimination of the disease。
“WHO welcomes the extension of this long-standing partnership with Novartis.Multidrug therapy has been a cornerstone of the program to eliminate leprosy，”said Dr Ren Mingui，Assistant Director-Gal，Universal Health Coverage/Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases，WHO.“We need to ensure we are reaching the last patients who are often in remote areas or informal settlements。It is in these deprived communities where much of the world's remaining leprosy is concentrated.”
The new agreement with WHO also covers the continuing donation of triclabendazole for the treatment of fascioliasis.This condition，more commonly known as liver fluke infestation，is aneglected tropical disease that infects 2.4 million people worldwide3宽度180 million at risk of infection4个.Novartis has been donating the treatment to the WHO since2005，helping to treat around two million fascioliasis patients in more than30countries.Triclabendazole is currently the only medicine for fascioliasis recommended by the WHO and is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.It is supplied by WHO during epidemic outbreaks and for periodic use in endemic countries。
For over 30years， Novartis and the Novartis Foundation have been working with partners around the world on innovative approaches to leprosy elimination.Leprosy is now part of the Novartis Global Health&Corporate Resporate Unit as a Flagship program.Novartis Global Health&Corporate Responsibility aims to transform alth in lower inrotutionhapplying expertise，people and full organizational capability to address major，unresolved global health challenges。
Disclaimer
This media update contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as“potential，”“can，”“will，”“plan，”“may，”“could，”“would，”“expect，”“anticate”“look forward，”“believe，”“committed，”“investigational，”“pipeline，”“launch，”or similar terms，按express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals，new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this media update， orregarding potential future revenues from such products.You should not place undue reliance on these statements.Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events， and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties.Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize，or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect， actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this media update will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market， or at any particular time.Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future.In particular，our expectations regarding such products could be affected by，among other things，the uncertainherent in research and development， including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data；regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally；global trends toward health care cost containment，including government， 城市公共公共交通和reimbursement pressures and requirement为increased pricing transparency， including the effect of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19；safety，quality，data integrity or manufacturing issues；potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches，or disruptions of our information technology systems， and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.Novartis is is providing the information in this media update as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this media update as date as suformation of， future events or otherwise
About leprosy and MDT
Leprosy has afflicted people since biblical times，and even today，millions of people are still suffering the long-term consequences of the disease.It is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria calledycobacterium leprae，which attacks the nerves，skin，eyes，and lining of the nose（nasal mucosa）。
Figures released by the World Health Organization（WHO）show that the global burden of leprosy（defined as‘numbers of patients on treatment’）has been reduced by95%since the 1980 s。1个This is due in large part to the WHO’s distribution of multidrug therapy which has reached over17million patients。
rifampicin，clofazimine and dapsone）and has made it possible to cure nearly all patients，thereby reducing the transmission of leprosy and preventing disabilities。
Since2000，Novartis has donated more than68million blister packs of MDT through WHO，helping to treat more than7.3million patients worldwide.The new agreement extends the program from 2021up to 2025。
People with leprosy who are diagnosed early and treated can continue to work and lead a normal life.However，early successes in eliminating leprosy have actually obstructed the goal of achieving zero transmission–with fer patients infeed， funding and political commitment as well as awareness of the disease have declined.In the last decade，new case detection has broadly plateaued between245000and2080000 cases a year，with95%occurring in16countries。
Experts suggest that in addition to the cornerstone of early diagnosis and prompt treatment with multidrug therapy for all leprosy patients，a successful elimination strategy also requires tracing and prophylactic treatment for contacts，improvements in diagnostic tools， and strict epidemiological surveillance and response systems to monitor progress。
About Novartis
Novartis is reimaging medicine to improve and extend people’s lives.As aleading global medicines company，we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need.Inour quest to find new medicines， we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development.Novartis products reach nearly 800million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments.About110000people of more than140 nationalities work at Novartis around the worldhttps://www.novartis.com。
Novartis is is on Twitter。Sign up to follow@Novartis athttps://twitter.com/novartisnews
Novartis multimedia content，please visithttps://www.novartis.com/news/media-library
预应力控制，预应力控制已保护
参考，参考
- World Health Organization，Weekly Epidemiological Record，1September2017，vol.92,35（p.501）。可用：https://www.who.int/wer/2017/wer9235/en/（accessed October 2020）
- Richardus JH et al.Leprosy post-exposure prophylaxis with single-dose rifampicin（LPEP）：an international feasibility programme。Lancet Global Health，published online on29 October2020.Available at:http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIS2214-109X（20）30396-X/fulltext
- World Health Organization.Human fascioliasis:review provides fresh perspectives on infection and control.Available at:www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/fascioliasis-review-provides-new-pe…（accessed January2020）
- Nyindo M，Lukambagire A-H.Fascioliasis:An Ongoing Zoonotic Trematode Infection.Biomed Res Int.2015；786195.Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC 4568335/（accessed January2020）
| Novartis Media Relations | |
| 电子邮件：已保护 | |
| | |
| Antonio Ligi | Arzum Ustun |
| Novartis External Communications | Novartis Global Health&CR Communications |
| +41 61 324 1374 | +41791085314 |
| 已保护 | 已保护 |
| | |
| Eric Althoff | |
| Novartis US External Communications | |
| +16464648435 | |
| 已保护 | |
| Novartis Investor Relations |
| Central investor relations line:+41 61 324 7944 |
| 电子邮件：已保护 |
| 中央，中央 | | North America | |
| Samir Shah | +41613247944 | Sloan Simpson | +1862 778 5052 |
| Thomas Hungerbuehler | +41 61 324 8425 | | |
| Isabella Zinck | +41 61 324 7188 | | |