Reuters: German Merck aims to roll out child formula for schistosomiasis drug
“Merck KGaA said it is developing a children’s formula of its drug to treat schistosomiasis, a parasitic worm disease that infects millions of poor people in Africa and Asia. … The company said it has donated 500 million tablets of praziquantel to the World Health Organization (WHO) over the last 10 years for use in 39 African countries, primarily targeting children who catch the disease in contaminated rivers and lakes. But the pill is large, bitter, and difficult for children to swallow, Belen Garijo, CEO of health care at Merck KGaA, told reporters in Geneva. The new formula will be sweeter…” (Nebehay, 4/18).