Sleeping sickness aid

Published: 1-Dec-2002


Bayer has signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for a donation of Germanin (suramin) to combat sleeping sickness. Bayer has agreed to provide the drug to the WHO free of charge for an initial five-year period in the amounts forecast by the organisation.

In addition and as part of its corporate commitment to combat African sleeping sickness, Bayer intends to support studies for a label extension of its pharmaceutical product Lampit (nifurtimox) for use in treating Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT). Originally, nifurtimox had been registered for the treatment of Chagas' disease, but several trials have taken place using different dosages for treatment of sleeping sickness.

Also known as HAT, sleeping sickness is a fatal disease affecting people living in sub-Saharan Africa. The infection is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma and is transmitted by the tsetse fly.

'Our aim is to support the activities of the WHO in the fight against sleeping sickness, a disease that threatens almost 60m people in Africa,' said Dr Wolfgang Plischke, head of the pharmaceuticals division of Bayer HealthCare. 'We see the donation of suramin as a first step towards achieving this aim.'

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