Hiroyuki Kojima, a senior pharmaceutical scientist at Astellas, reflects on his significant role in developing a pediatric formulation of praziquantel for treating schistosomiasis in African preschoolers. This collaboration aimed to address long-standing challenges in effectively administering standard treatments to young children, who often struggle with dosage and acceptability. The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, formed in 2012, successfully created a new, child-friendly formulation, receiving EMA positive opinion in 2023 and WHO prequalification in 2024, paving the way to improve public health in affected regions significantly.
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References
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schistosomiasis