GHealth News – In a powerful commitment to global health, Novartis has announced it will continue producing life-saving malaria and leprosy medicines, even if orders stop due to global aid funding cuts. Speaking to Reuters, Dr. Lutz Hegemann, President of Global Health at Novartis, stressed that the company will not be the bottleneck in access to essential treatments.
Despite the unstable future of key funding sources like the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and broader donor pullbacks, Novartis will maintain its annual output of 28 million malaria treatments at not-for-profit pricing. It will also continue donating leprosy drugs through the WHO.
Beyond supply, Novartis is ramping up its R&D investment in neglected tropical diseases, doubling its pledge to $490 million by 2025. New treatments in the pipeline include a dengue antiviral, therapies for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, and the first malaria treatment for newborns.
As traditional aid wanes, Novartis is calling on the pharmaceutical sector to step up with innovative partnerships that directly empower low- and middle-income countries.