It is estimated that more than 1 billion people worldwide are suffering from the three major infectious diseases of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as "neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)" such as dengue fever and Chagas disease, many of which are concentrated in developing countries or among the poor. Many of them are concentrated in developing countries or among the poor. We in the pharmaceutical industry are working in collaboration with international organizations to develop therapeutic drugs to eradicate these diseases that pose a threat to humanity.
Onchocerciasis, one of the NTDs, was endemic in tropical regions of Africa and Central and South America. It was Professor Satoshi Omura who freed us from this threat, which can lead to blindness if the infection progresses. Professor Omura applied what was originally developed as a therapeutic drug for animal diseases to onchocerciasis, an infectious disease of humans. In 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work. Today, the special drug is still being provided free of charge to Africa and Latin America through the WHO, and it is believed that "onchocerciasis" will be extinct by 2025.
It is said that one in seven people in the world now suffer from one or more NTDs. We are making the following efforts to help such people in any way we can. (Initiatives by member companies)
