Dutch research project designed to reduce maternal and child mortality

Top Institute Pharma, which carries out pioneering research projects with the support of the Dutch Ministry of Health in order to develop better and safer medicines, is starting a unique research project designed to reduce maternal and child mortality.

The World Health Organisation's Department of Medicines Policy and Standards warmly welcomes this initiative. Every year 11 million children under the age of 5 die in developing countries. In addition, 500,000 women die every year during pregnancy or child birth and 20 million women suffer from illness and disability due to complications.

An international OECD Forum in Noordwijk (20-21 June) will request more attention for this problem. Reducing maternal and child mortality is an important Millennium Development Goal, set by the United Nations.

Victor Nickolson, Managing Director of TI Pharma: "This is a problem that can and must be solved. It is unacceptable that millions of women and children in developing countries are dying unnecessarily." Together with a number of Dutch universities and pharmaceutical companies, TI Pharma is carrying out research on making vaccines and drugs 'heat-stable'. This is important since most vaccines and drugs are not heat-stable and therefore cannot be used in developing countries. Heat-stable medicines would, moreover, be of vital importance in case of a worldwide outbreak of influenza.

Daan Crommelin, Scientific Director of TI Pharma: "For example, we are working to make oxytocin heat-stable. In the Netherlands, women are treated with oxytocin after delivery. In developing countries, many women die after delivery due to bleeding, because oxytocin is not available, since it must be stored refrigerated. With this project, we will make oxytocin suitable for the developing countries."

It is TI Pharma's ambition to develop heat-stable vaccines and other medicines as rapidly as possible, also for hepatitis B, diabetes and influenza.

The World Health Organisation's Department of Medicines Policy and Standards is pleased with this initiative. Richard Laing (WHO Expert Committee): "Medicines for developing countries often are not given priority. This market is financially unattractive for many companies. The WHO has requested more attention for this problem. The fact that TI Pharma is making this research possible is highly praiseworthy from a social point of view."