GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) new albendazole manufacturing production line at its Nashik facility, has been dedicated to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), informed Andrew Witty, CEO, GSK. This new facility, built with an investment of Rs 15 million, will deliver an additional 300 million treatments of albendazole per year, being the largest drug donation programme in the history of the global pharmaceutical industry.

The Nashik facility will potentially save the Indian health system an estimated Rs 1.38 billion ($ 30 million) in treatment costs and improve lives of 550 million people in India who live at risk of developing this debilitating condition. The new Nashik facility will double GSK’s annual manufacturing capacity for the LF programme. The technology for this plant was transferred from Cape Town and production started in August 2009. The first consignment of 15 million albendazole tablets was supplied to WHO on 23rd December, 2009, this year Nashik is expected to deliver 300 million tablets.

The global programme to eliminate LF has become the most rapidly scaled up drug administration programme in public health history. Since the programme began in 2000, more than 1.4 billion treatments have been given to over 500 million people in 48 of the 83 countries with endemic LF. Worldwide more than 1.3 billion people live at risk of disability and disfigurement caused by LF, one-third of those at risk live in India. The cost to the Indian economy is estimated to exceed $ 840 million every year due to treatment costs, reduced working time and lost productivity.

Andrew Witty, GlaxoSmithKline’s CEO said, “Through the investment in India we are able to focus on one of the largest areas at risk from LF and support the Indian Government’s current efforts to control and eliminate this crippling tropical disease.”