Eisai commits to tropical disease research programme

Eisai has announced its commitment to a major international health initiative that aims to eliminate ten neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by the end of the decade.

The Japan-based company is one of 13 research and development-based pharmaceutical firms to support the new London Declaration, with Eisai's involvement to focus on the eradication of lymphatic filariasis.

This will involve Eisai working to provide the World Health Organization (WHO) with 2.2 billion tablets of the medicine diethylcarbamazine from now until 2020, which will help to treat around 250 million people.

A company statement said: "Eisai is committed to taking proactive measures to help solve global health issues … as it seeks to make contributions to increasing the benefits provided to patients and their families worldwide."

Other supporters of the London Declaration include the WHO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank, as well as the governments of the UK, US and many of the nations affected by these diseases.

This comes after the firm recently allied with Johns Hopkins University to study new treatments for neurological conditions.