Novartis announced the official extension of its tuberculosis (TB) drug donation to Tanzania. Novartis has already delivered nearly 250,000 TB treatments to Tanzania between 2005 and 2008. With the new Memorandum of Understanding, Novartis committed to extend the donation, delivering another 250,000 treatments over the next three to four years. This donation is worth about USD 6 million and aimed to treat an estimated 60,000 patients per year.
Dr Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO of Novartis, also discussed with president Kikwete the ongoing Novartis commitment to improve access to medicines for patients in developing countries. Activities of Novartis and its foundation range from research projects to drug donations, social marketing programs and training of healthcare staff in various disease areas such as malaria, leprosy, and TB. Klaus M Leisinger, president and CEO of the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, who was also present at the meeting, addressed the role of the national government which is crucial in improving access to healthcare.
"Addressing the health problems of the developing world is complex and challenging," said Dr Vasella, "No single player can be successful. To make a meaningful and sustainable impact for patients in the developing world, governments, international institutions, industry, and civil society must join forces."
TB, a highly infectious disease, continues to claim nearly two million victims per year mostly in developing countries. The disease is very complex to treat, requiring a combination of drugs administered over six to eight months. A lack of patient compliance during this lengthy period has led to the emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB. The recommended treatment for TB by the World Health Organization is DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short-course), an approach that requires patients to take their medicines under direct daily observation by a medical professional.
In Tanzania, the Novartis Foundation has taken DOTS one step further. The Patient-Centered TB Treatment (PCT) gives patients the choice to follow treatment either at a health facility or at home supervised by a family member. First results showed that 88 per cent of TB patients chose home-based treatment. Although patients are not observed by trained personnel every day, treatments improved from 72 to 78 per cent compared to the old approach. PCT was first introduced to three pilot districts: Arusha Municipal, Kahama, and Mufindi districts. The foundation works closely with the Tanzanian National Tuberculosis Programme of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Apart from this work on the ground, Novartis also conducts research on TB through the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) in Singapore. The main objective is to develop a novel treatment against multi-drug-resistant TB, and to reduce the long treatment duration.
The TB drug donation will be carried out in cooperation with the global Stop TB Partnership initiative.