Novartis has renewed its memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) to lengthen its drug donation for Egaten® (triclabendazole) to 2022 and continues its war against liver fluke. WHO lists Egaten as the only medicine for fascioliasis and also includes it in the Model List of Essential Medicines.

Novartis has promised a donation of 600,000 tablets of Egaten annually as part of this new four-year (January 2019 to December 2022) deal, which it hopes to help 300,000 patients per year. As many as 4 million tablets of Egaten, costing USD 41 million, have been donated by Novartis since the commencement of the donation program in 2005, which has helped treat around 2 million patients with fascioliasis in more than 30 countries globally.

Fascioliasis, also called liver fluke, is an ignored tropical disease affecting about 2.4 million people worldwide. Fascioliasis is reported from every continent; more than 70 countries in all. Egaten is administered in a single-dose for treating fascioliasis.

"This donation will help increase access to treatment in many countries, particularly in communities where cases are clustered and among children of school age who have both the highest prevalence and intensity of infection," said Antonio Montresor, M.D., Medical Officer, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases.

"Novartis looks forward to its continued partnership with the WHO to reduce the burden of fascioliasis around the world through access to effective treatment," said Patrice Matchaba, M.D., Group Head of Global Health and Corporate Responsibility. "The extension of our donation through 2022 is a testament to our company's long-term commitment to reimagining the fight against neglected tropical diseases."