GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), United Kingdom

Since GSK’s announcement in January 1998 of its commitment to donate albendazole to WHO for every country that needs it until LF is eliminated, the company has been playing a major role in the Global Alliance. Working closely with WHO headquarters, WHO Regional Offices and the Mectizan® Donation Program, as well as the Ministries of Health in countries, GSK is an active and involved partner.  By the end of 2006, GSK donated 600 million albendazole treatments to 44 countries around the world.  In addition, the company provides more than $1 million in cash grants to Global Alliance partners each year. A dedicated team of GSK staff supports the global effort through partnership, advocacy, strategic planning, research, and communications initiatives.   

The goal of the LF elimination effort is to interrupt transmission of the disease country by country.  This can be accomplished by treating entire endemic communities once a year with albendazole co-administered with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) or, for countries where LF and onchocerciasis co-exist, with albendazole plus Mectizan® (donated by Merck & Co., Inc.)

Treatment with albendazole, a mainstay anti-parasitic medicine, has the additional benefit of treating intestinal worms such as hookworm, whipworm or roundworm infections which can lead to anaemia, stunting and malnutrition in children.

GSK is fully committed to the long-term LF elimination programme: this will involve providing sufficient albendazole treatments for the one billion people who live at risk of the disease worldwide.  Best estimates have put the scale of GSK’s commitment at around six billion tablets.  WHO-appointed Regional Programme Review Groups approve applications for albendazole from the Ministries of Health with LF elimination programmes.  And for countries where LF and onchocerciasis co-exist, there is a harmonised drug application and approval process for albendazole and Mectizan® treatments.