First Preschool-Aged Child Receives Arpraziquantel for the Treatment of Schistosomiasis

The first preschool-aged child has been treated with the newly developed pediatric treatment option for schistosomiasis arpraziquantel in Uganda. First preschool-aged child receives arpraziquantel, the new pediatric treatment option for schistosomiasis, through an implementation research study Arpraziquantel completes the range of treatments for the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis in all age groups Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is focusing on disease control to eliminate schistosomiasis, the second most dangerous parasitic disease (after malaria) in the world, as a public health problem by 2030 Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, and the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium today announced that the first preschool-aged child has been treated with arpraziquantel in an implementation research study in Uganda. Arpraziquantel is a newly developed pediatric treatment option for the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. This disease is caused by parasitic worms, and it is estimated that over 250 million people are affected. “With the successful introduction of arpraziquantel to preschool-aged children in the first African nation, we have reached a critical milestone in making treatments for schistosomiasis available to all age groups,” said Peter Guenter, Member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “In partnership with the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, we have been steadfast in our commitment to combating schistosomiasis. We remain focused on accelerating disease control efforts, with the ultimate goal of eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health threat by 2030.” Derived from praziquantel, the standard of care treatment for school-aged children and adults, arpraziquantel is a 150mg dispersible tablet, designed for preschool-aged children with an acceptable taste and withstanding the hot and humid conditions of tropical climates. Arpraziquantel was granted the positive scientific opinion by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and included into the World Health Organization (WHO)’s List of Prequalified Medicinal Products respectively in December 2023 and May 2024. Inclusion into the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines is expected in 2025. In parallel, technology transfer from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to Universal Corporation Ltd. (Nairobi, Kenya) is ongoing for planned future large-scale local production; new procurement and funding mechanisms are collaboratively defined for equitable and sustainable access to the new medication. As part of the Consortium’s ADOPT program, the introduction of arpraziquantel is supported by the Ministry of Health in Uganda through an implementation research study in a mass drug administration setting for children aged two to five years. The overall aim of this ADOPT study led by Consortium partners, Unlimit Health (London, United Kingdom) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Allschwil, Switzerland), is to identify routine practices for a wider adoption of the new medication into countries where schistosomiasis is endemic. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is the product supplier for this study. Beyond Uganda, introduction of arpraziquantel will be extended to other sub-Saharan African countries to start with Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, initiated its ‘Schistosomiasis Elimination Program’ in cooperation with WHO back in 2007. Through this initiative, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, supports the requirements of the WHO’s 2021-2030 Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases and the United Nations’ Sustainable Goals, in line with the company’s sustainability strategy and its engagement to drive health equity. Each year, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, provides up to 250 million tablets of praziquantel. In partnership with WHO, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has donated over 2 billion tablets of praziquantel so far, enabling the treatment of more than 800 million people, primarily school-aged children.

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