Filariasis

Tiki Barber gave me a brief glimmer of hope this week. “There’s an elephant in the room,” the former New York Giants football star said, perched in a leather chair, talking with GSK CEO Emma Walmsley in front of over 500 pharma executives, lobbyists, consultants and other industry members. Barber was speaking just a few hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered his welcome address at HHS headquarters. I had flown down to Washington that Tuesday for the inaugural PhRMA Forum, hoping to hear the drug industry’s plans for Trump’s second term. Finally , I thought, maybe Tiki will bring up the talk of the town . Barber described a different elephant: the frustration of dealing with the layers and middlemen that get between patients and their medicines. That was indicative of how the three-hour PhRMA Forum went. Pharma CEOs and other speakers stuck to safe, Trump-friendly topics on the stage. In the process, they studiously avoided weighing in on the chaotic flurry of actions in the Beltway. PhRMA CEO Stephen Ubl called Trump the “disrupter-in-chief,” while Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla argued Trump’s opportunities will outweigh the risks for pharma. Gilead CEO Dan O’Day trotted out a variation on Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” slogan, saying everyone here shared a commitment to “making America a healthier place for all.” They praised Trump as a status-quo challenger, but didn’t discuss what the last month has shown that to actually mean. Trump has proposed major cuts to NIH research grants, installed a longtime anti-vaccine advocate to lead HHS, and overseen mass firings at agencies like the FDA and CDC. In his speech to HHS on Tuesday, Kennedy made it clear what he meant by making America healthy again. His priorities as health secretary include launching investigations into childhood vaccine schedules and anti-depression drugs as ways of fighting chronic disease, he said. Over the forum’s three hours, I didn’t hear a single shout-out in defense of the NIH, FDA, or CDC. (I also requested interviews on the forum’s sidelines with the CEOs of Merck, Pfizer, GSK, and Novartis. Their spokespeople either didn’t respond or said they were unavailable.) The motivation driving this selective silence seems clear: Isn’t it better to have a seat at the table? We’ll see how the gambit plays out. The CEOs may view their recent meeting at the White House as evidence of success. The price of admission, though, seems to be the industry’s most powerful leaders biting their tongues on defending some basic scientific principles, like vaccine safety, and institutions, like the NIH. Few details have emerged from that closed-door White House sit-down. Much clearer was the torrent of boos that greeted Bourla when he was later introduced by the president before a Trump-supporting crowd in the East Room. That’s the latest reminder of how public distrust of the healthcare industry has deteriorated into public hatred. This isn’t the only option in the playbook. When Roy Vagelos ran Merck from 1985 to 1994, he became pharma’s leading voice. He was a champion of investing in research and occasionally took steps that placed the long-term sustainability of the industry over what’s best for next quarter’s earnings, like a then-unprecedented donation of a Merck drug to treat river blindness in millions of people. Under Vagelos, Merck repeatedly was ranked as America’s most admired corporation — not just in pharma, but across all industries. That’s an unimaginable reality today. Vagelos wasn’t the only Merck CEO to show leadership. Ken Frazier resigned from a presidential manufacturing council during Trump’s first term, objecting to Trump’s comments on blaming “many sides” for a fatal confrontation involving white supremacists in Charlottesville, VA. Frazier said he had “a responsibility to take a stand.” Where is the Vagelos or Frazier of today? — Andrew (This is Post-Hoc, our latest newsletter with analysis and dispatches from our journalists. To sign up for future editions, click here .)

The US gave the WHO $1.28bn in funding in 2022-2023, far more than China’s $157m. Image credit: Shutterstock / Viacheslav Lopatin. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for country commitment to combat neglected tropical diseases, as the agency braces itself for losing its biggest funder. The WHO released a short video of director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (30 January), outlaying the challenges facing programmes that address these types of diseases across the globe. “These programmes face challenges including funding gaps, service disruptions, and climate change,” Dr Ghebreyesus said. In a post on X , the WHO outlined the 21 tropical diseases adversely affecting human health. These diseases are called “neglected” because they have historically ranked very low on the global health agenda, leading to little funding and attention. Mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue and chikungunya, sleeping sickness, and leprosy, amongst others, feature on the list. The agency estimates that 1.5 billion people each year require treatment due to a neglected tropical disease. There are 21 neglected tropical diseases. Find out what they are and what causes them: https://t.co/kozvJDK7Ps #NeglectedNoMore How well do you really know your competitors? Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge. View profiles in store Company Profile – free sample Thank you! Your download email will arrive shortly Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. 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Submit and download Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address. — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 30, 2025 The WHO has a roadmap to ensure neglected tropical diseases are controlled, eliminated, or eradicated by 2030. However, as a result of reduced investment and other challenges, the agency states that this goal is at risk of not being achieved. The organisation receives funding from two main sources, notably member states and voluntary contributions. The US was the largest contributor to the WHO in 2022-2023 under former President Joe Biden, giving the agency $1.28bn. This amounted to 12% of the WHO’s total budget – in comparison, China donated $157m. President Donald Trump has recently signed an executive order detailing the country’s intent to withdraw from the WHO, citing the health agency’s political sways, mishandling of Covid-19, and unfair payment demands. Trump’s administration has already frozen the supply of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis drugs to countries supported by USAID. Dr Atul Gawande who served as assistant administrator for global health at USAID under the Biden Administration, told PBS News that waivers do not seem to include programmes for eliminating neglected tropical diseases. The WHO did announce a global health win on the eve of Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, reporting that Guinea has eliminated the gambiense form of sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis. Programmes in the country used insecticides to interrupt contact between infected tsetse flies and humans, along with increasing accessibility to treatment. Then on 30 January, the agency congratulated Niger on becoming the first country in Africa to eliminate onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness. Dr Ghebreyesus said: “To address them, programmes to fight neglected tropical diseases must be integrated into primary healthcare. We also need a ‘One Health’ approach to address the links between the health of humans, animals, and the environment. “On World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, we’re calling on all partners to unite, act, eliminate.” Other tropical diseases such as dengue and chikungunya are more likely to require vaccinations . The WHO has previously called on member states to increase vaccine coverage in countries across the world and has placed importance on children missing out on key vaccinations. The WHO expanded its partnership with the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund to promote access to safe, effective and affordable drugs, vaccines and diagnostics in the area of neglected tropical diseases. GHIT Fund is a public-private partnership between the Japanese Government, 16 pharmaceutical companies, and non-profits such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. WHO’s stance on the critical need for vaccines is set against a changing US public health landscape under the new administration in the US. Neglected Tropical Diseases Day comes a day after Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr – Trump’s nominee for secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS) – was questioned over his position on vaccines at a Senate Confirmation Meeting. During the hearing, RFK Jr denied being anti-vaccine, despite senators bringing up previous comments that suggested otherwise.

DECATUR, Ga., Nov. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mectizan Donation Program applauds Timor-Leste for eliminating lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem, a remarkable achievement that was recently validated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Timor-Leste is the fifth country in Southeast Asia to achieve this milestone and the first country in the region to do so by co-administering Mectizan, albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC). Since 2017, Merck (known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada), GSK and Eisai have been partnering to donate Mectizan, albendazole, and DEC, respectively, to accelerate the elimination of LF in eligible countries where river blindness is not endemic based on a recommendation of triple drug therapy from WHO. LF, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a debilitating disease caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. Long-term, chronic infection can cause damage to the lymphatic system, as well as severe and irreversible swelling to the limbs, breasts and/or genitals. These symptoms can cause extreme discomfort, disability and social stigmatization. “We are delighted to learn of Timor-Leste’s success in eliminating LF as a public health problem,” said Allison Goldberg, president, Merck Foundation. “This achievement is a testament to the strength and determination of the Timor-Leste people and the power of public-private partnerships, including the Mectizan Donation Program.”Thomas Breuer, Chief Global Health Officer at GSK, stated, “We congratulate Timor-Leste for this remarkable achievement. The elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in Timor-Leste is demonstrative of the power of effective partnerships and the unwavering commitment of the global NTD community.” Mectizan Donation Program director Dr. Yao Sodahlon, an expert in tropical diseases who played a vital role in the elimination of LF in Togo, stated, “We celebrate the government of Timor-Leste, the endemic communities who helped distribute the medicines with high coverage demonstrating effectiveness of triple drug therapy, and the partners who made elimination of LF in Timor-Leste possible. This success demonstrates that elimination of LF can be achieved through the donations of these essential medicines, the commitment of the government and people of the endemic countries, and the global partnership working to end LF.” About the Mectizan Donation Program The Mectizan Donation Program (MDP) was established in 1987 to provide medical, technical, and administrative oversight of the donation of Mectizan by Merck for the treatment of onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. In 1998, MDP expanded its mandate to include oversight of the donation of albendazole by GSK for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in onchocerciasis co-endemic areas. Contacts MDP:Joni Lawrence Deputy Director Mectizan Donation Program jlawrence@taskforce.org Yao SodahlonDirectorMectizan Donation Programysodahlon@taskforce.org