Leishmaniasis, Visceral

Two Merck Senior Executives & an Indian Business Partner, 1907 Welcome back to part two of our exploration of The Merck Group's history and investment in China and India, with this part focusing on innovation in India Welcome back to our exploration of Merck's activities and investment in India and China. Both nations have emerged as leaders in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and today we focus our attention on India. India built the foundation of modern medicine, and today is a critical site of technological, healthcare and manufacturing innovation. It remains one of the biggest global suppliers of vaccines , providing cost-effective medical solutions to countries across the globe. If you want to discover how Merck is enhancing it's manufacturing innovation in China, head on over to part one. Merck & India: a history of transforming health outcomes Spices and herbs- important to the Indian system of Ayurvedic medicine India , like China, has a rich and highly influential medicinal history. The Indian system of Ayurvedic medicine, dating back to the 1st millennium BC is one of the world's oldest medical systems, laying the foundation for modern medicine. Core to the basis of Ayurveda is the use of herbs and spices in everyday meals as preventive medical science, contributing to India's pioneering medical history and distinctive culinary profile. Treatments for gall bladder and kidney stones (Lithiasis), cataract surgery and black fever were all pioneered in India. Merck has been involved in India since 1891, with Willy Merck also visiting the nation during his global travels. He remarked then on its vital importance to the company, which has only grown with time. In the mid-1920s Merck representatives in India collaborated with Bayer to develop and market the Vitamin D preparation Vigantol. After utilising other representatives, Merck was officially incorporated in India as E. Merck India Private Limited in 1967. E. Merck India Private Limited in 1967 In its first year, the company had 115 employees, which rose to more than 1,000 the following year. Today Merck India is a thriving, vibrant leader in manufacturing, technology and science. 2017 officially marked 50 years of Merck India, which has contributed to significant growth in India's pharmaceutical, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. During 2021, Merck also played a critical role in helping five Indian manufacturers accelerate and expand global access to Molnupiravir, an Investigational Oral Therapeutic for the Treatment of COVID-19. Kenneth C. Frazier, former Chairman and CEO of Merck During this process, Kenneth C. Frazier, former Chairman and CEO of Merck commented: “The scale of human suffering in India at this moment is devastating, and it is clear that more must be done to help alleviate it. These agreements, toward which we have been working as we have been studying molnupiravir, will help to accelerate access to molnupiravir in India and around the world.” The organisation also donated more than US$5m in supplies and equipment in India to aid relief efforts. Today the Merck Group continues to meet the demands of Indian manufacturers and accelerate the advancement of global vaccine manufacturing. A new Managing Director & the EMPROVE® program In 2018, The Merck Group invested US$18.4m into a then-new manufacturing and distribution centre for its Life Science Business. Earlier this year, the company appointed a new Managing Director of Merck Life Science in India, Dhanjay Singh, taking the role in addition to his position as Head of Science & Lab Solutions Commercial, India. Pratima Reddy, Country Speaker, Merck India "As an expert with 26 years with Merck, Dhananjay has been instrumental in shaping the Science and Lab Solutions Commercial business in India and is exemplary in his commitment to advancing scientific progress in partnership with our customers,” said Pratima Reddy, Country Speaker, Merck India. Merck India also employs its EMPROVE® program, which offers extensive documentation to help ensure regulatory compliance and swift, successful vaccine deployment. The company has sought to refine supply chain transparency, reliability and predictability to protect products during the manufacturing process . Through Merck's End-to-End solutions, its customers in India have the facility to execute pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, utilising a high-performance portfolio that includes Millipore® filtration systems and chemicals portfolio of SAFC®. Dhananjay Singh, Managing Director of Merck Life Science, India “Merck Life Science is committed to meeting our customers’ demands through our strategic focus on “India for India and India for the Globe", aligned with our country strategy, our strong partnerships with valued customers and our dedicated team,” says Dhananjay Singh, Managing Director of Merck Life Science, India. “I am enthusiastic to drive our collective efforts toward achieving unparalleled success. "Together, we will be able to navigate the intricate landscape of the life sciences industry in India, steadfastly supporting government initiatives like “Make in India” to foster growth and innovation." ****** Make sure you check out the latest edition of Manufacturing Digital and also sign up to our global conference series - Procurement & Supply Chain 2024 & Sustainability LIVE 2024 ****** Manufacturing Digital is a BizClik brand.

GSK CEO Emma Walmsley told Fierce Biotech that the company is still “keeping an eye on the opportunity in HPV.” GSK has scrapped a phase 2 human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine from its pipeline after deciding the asset wouldn’t have best-in-class potential.The British Big Pharma—which still markets the HPV vaccine Cervarix in various countries—announced the decision to remove an adjuvanted recombinant protein vaccine for the viral infection, dubbed GSK4106647, from its phase 2 pipeline as part of second-quarter earnings results (PDF).On a call with journalists this morning, CEO Emma Walmsley told Fierce Biotech that while GSK is still “keeping an eye on the opportunity in HPV, for sure,” the company has decided it doesn’t want to pursue GSK4106647 further.“One of the most important things you can do when developing a pipeline is focus on the big bets of new and differentiated assets,” Walmsley said. “And part of that means switching off things where we don't think we can necessarily cut through with something that can be a best in class.”When it comes to GSK’s vaccines portfolio more generally, the company is “doubling down both on mRNA and on our new MAPS technology,” the CEO added. Earlier this month, the Big Pharma paid CureVac $430 million for the full rights to the mRNA specialist’s flu and COVID vaccines. “The key point is: Can you bring something that's new and different and better, where there's material unmet need, and we can demonstrate differentiated value,” she added.GSK still markets the recombinant HPV vaccine Cervarix in various countries around the world. Despite pulling the vaccine from the U.S. in 2016 due to low demand, the company still saw £120 million ($154 million) in global revenue for the shot in 2023.One other drug was removed from GSK’s pipeline this morning: a proteasome inhibitor for a tropical disease called visceral leishmaniasis. Walmsley stressed on the same call that GSK has a “long-term commitment to neglected tropical diseases,” but said the decision to end work on this specific asset was a result of “the discipline of betting where we can win.”

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease affecting a growing number of people worldwide. Each year, between 700,000 and 1 million new cases are reported. Caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania, which is transmitted to humans by the simple bite of a sand fly, leishmaniasis comprises three clinical forms, of which the visceral form is the most serious. If left untreated, visceral leishmaniasis, also known as black fever, is almost always fatal. A discovery by Simona Stäger's team could help come up with a treatment to the most serious form of leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease affecting a growing number of people worldwide. Each year, between 700,000 and 1 million new cases are reported. Caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania, which is transmitted to humans by the simple bite of a sand fly, leishmaniasis comprises three clinical forms, of which the visceral form is the most serious. If left untreated, visceral leishmaniasis, also known as black fever, is almost always fatal. Most cases occur in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Sudan. Professor Simona Stäger of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) and her team, in collaboration with other researchers from INRS and McGill University, have observed a surprising immune mechanism linked to chronic visceral leishmaniasis. This discovery could be an important step towards a new therapeutic approach to this disease. The results of their research have been published in the journal Cell Reports. In many infections, CD4 T cells play a key role in defending the affected organism. Unfortunately, in the case of chronic infections such as leishmaniasis, maintaining the number of functional CD4 cells becomes an important issue, as the immune system is constantly activated to react against the pathogen affecting the infected person. New immunity soldiers to the rescue However, the study carried out by Professor Stäger in her laboratory at INRS's Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre suggests that these cells may have more than one trick up their sleeve to maintain their vitality. By observing these novel cells, the scientists noticed that they increase in number during the chronic phase of the disease and also that, like progenitor cells, they are capable of self-renewal or differentiation into other effector cells responsible for eliminating the parasite, or regulatory cells that inhibit the host's response. Professor Simona Stäger points out that CD4 T cells normally differentiate into effector cells from "naive" CD4 T cells. But during chronic infections, because of the constant need to generate effector cells, naive CD4 T cells are highly solicited and may become exhausted. "We believe that in the chronic phase of visceral leishmaniasis, the new population we have identified is responsible for generating effector and regulatory cells. This would allow the host to prevent exhaustion of its existing pool of naive CD4 Tcells for a certain antigen," explains Ph.D. student and first author of the study, Sharada Swaminathan. The new lymphocyte population discovered by the INRS team could be a decisive immune booster, taking over from over-solicited naive CD4 T cells. "If we can figure out how to direct this new lymphocyte population to differentiate into a protective effector cell, it could help the host get rid of the Leishmania parasite." --  Simona Stäger, Vice-Director of the Infectiopole and member of Pasteur Network A cure for other infections? The study also mentions that cells similar to this new CD4 T lymphocyte population have been observed in mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and in mice carrying the H. polygyrus intestinal worm. So it is quite possible that this population is present in other chronic infections or in other chronic inflammatory environments. This overlap sets the stage for an even wider scope for the discovery made by Professor Stäger's team. "If our hypothesis is correct, these cells could be exploited therapeutically not only for visceral leishmaniasis, but also for other chronic infections," concludes the researcher.