EMA Recommends Arpraziquantel for Treatment of Schistosomiasis in Preschool-Aged Children

The EMA recommendation is a major milestone in fighting the burden of schistosomiasis in young children. Photo: Alexis Martin, Swiss TPH Arpraziquantel, developed by the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, receives positive scientific opinion by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of schistosomiasis in preschool-aged children. The Consortium's work to develop, register, and provide access to arpraziquantel is a tangible contribution to the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem. As a member of the consortium, Swiss TPH conducted the clinical trials together with local partners. Today, the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive scientific opinion for arpraziquantel to treat the neglected tropical disease, schistosomiasis, in preschool-aged children (3 months to 6 years of age). The application was submitted by the company Merck, on behalf of the Consortium, under the EU-M4all procedure for high-priority medicines for human use intended for countries outside the European Union. Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia) is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases worldwide and a very important one in terms of public health burden and economic impact.