Programs

Pfizer, in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is developing a fixed dose combination of azithromycin and chloroquine (AZCQ) for intermittent treatment of malaria in pregnant women (IPTp) in sub-Saharan Africa. IPTp is aimed at lowering the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with malaria in pregnancy. Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) is the current standard of care for IPTp in high transmission areas in Africa.

Unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006, Mobilize Against Malaria is Pfizer's signature social investment in malaria, supporting programs to reduce the malaria burden in three hard-hit African countries, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal, over a five year period (2007-2011). Under this USD 15 million program, Pfizer helps four leading NGOs to close critical gaps in malaria treatment, training, and public demand for quality services. In Ghana, Pfizer is helping to bring the public and private sectors together to find new solutions to the malaria challenge.

Pfizer is working to advance tropical disease research by providing access to research tools for developing country researchers and large chemical libraries for screening to identify quality lead compounds as starting points for the development of new, improved medicines to fight neglected diseases.

The Pfizer Global Health Fellows program utilizes the professional expertise of Pfizer employees through specialized volunteer assignments with nonprofit organizations to improve health care services for underserved communities around the world. Since 2003, more than 230 employees with a range of technical skills have served in 39 nations for 3-6 month assignments investing nearly 200,000 hours of skills-based service to help increase the capacity of nonprofits organizations providing health care to the underserved (in the reporting period, 54 Global Health Fellows were deployed).

The Phelophepa healthcare train provides basic healthcare services to poor patients in remote rural areas of South Africa. The train is now 16 cars long and provides a pharmacy, cancer screening and education, psychology and dental and eye clinics, as well as diabetes and smear tests. It serves more than 45,000 people a year and has reached nearly 13 million in total since its inception in 1994. The train is run by the government-owned Transnet group. The Transnet Foundation funds about two-thirds of the train's running costs and provides staff, rail access and rolling stock.

Each year, approximately 800,000 babies around the world become infected with HIV during their mothers´ pregnancy, during birth or through breastfeeding.

Merck KGaA’s Praziquantel Donation Program, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to fight schistosomiasis in Africa. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic worm disease that is the second most prevalent and devastating parasitic disease in tropical countries after malaria. Infection occurs when human skin comes into contact with fresh water contaminated by snails carrying the schistosome parasites, which migrate through the body and spread the infectious disease. It represents the 2nd most severe burden for African children after malaria, and is considered as one of the most neglected tropical diseases. The consequences of an infection are particularly serious for children, as schistosomiasis stunts growth and cognitive development and also lead to anemia. WHO reports more than 200 million infected people in Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast and the Western Pacific.

In 2007, Ranbaxy announced a 3-year collaborative research with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), to develop an effective therapy for treatment of dengue infection. Project funding is provided by the Government of India. Ranbaxy has adopted a two-pronged approach: Exploring the available indigenous herbal repertoire for anti-dengue activity. Twenty plants were selected based on traditional knowledge and literature search. Two plant extracts with promising anti-dengue activity against all four serotypes were identified.

In collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, Ranbaxy has dedicated resources to explore its compound library to find molecules that may show activity against tuberculosis. Studies are also being conducted to determine the mode of action for identified compounds. Once a hit is identified, it can be optimized to develop a clinical candidate. All studies are conducted in a BSL3 facility funded by the Indian Government. Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. of Japan took a majority stake in Ranbaxy in 2008.

The Johnson & Johnson Regional Hospital Management Program helps Asian hospital managers to improve their management and operations skills so their hospitals can deliver better health care services. Based in Singapore, the Regional Hospital Management Program is run jointly with Singapore Management University. Each year, professors from leading Singaporean and US teaching institutions review modern hospital management principles and techniques with 50 senior hospital administrators from different Asian countries during a five-day seminar.

Renascer provides medical and educational aid to mothers with chronically ill children living below the poverty line.