Eisai Begins Free Supply of Diethylcarbamazine in Line With its Global Commitment to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis

Eisai Begins Free Supply ofEisai Begins Free Supply of Diethylcarbamazine in Line With its Global Commitment to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis PR Newswire HATFIELD, England, October 29, 2013 First shipment to benefit more than 6 million people in 4 endemic countries Eisai announced today that it has begun the free supply of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) 100 mg tablets produced at its Vizag Plant in India to the World Health Organization (WHO) in line with its commitment to help WHO in its global effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in targeted developing and emerging countries. The Pacific island nations of Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji have been confirmed as the first countries to receive the initial shipment. An estimated 6.25 million people living in at-risk communities will benefit from [1]mass drug administration (MDA) programmes. Eisai is an active partner and signatory to the London Declaration, a global public-private partnership that aims to eliminate ten neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including lymphatic filariasis, by 2020. As part of its commitment to this global initiative, Eisai has agreed to supply for free 2.2 billion DEC tablets to WHO for use in national MDA programmes. Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a parasitic [2]disease that is transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito.