BASEL, SWITZERLAND, Switzerland, April 24, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Novartis (NYSE:NVS) (Other OTC:NVSEF): launches international education program to ensure effective treatment with its fixed dose combination anti-malarial drug product, consisting of artemether and lumefantrine (Coartem(R))
- "Coartem and Malaria" initiative is latest step in the collaboration with WHO to provide this drug at cost to patients in developing countries
- Launch of program underlines Novartis' commitment to access to medicines for tropical diseases
Novartis announced the introduction of its international malaria education program, "Coartem and Malaria", developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of the effort to Roll Back Malaria. This education program addresses a serious problem facing many malaria victims in developing countries: how to take their medicine correctly. Many patients in developing countries have difficulty reading conventional Western style packaging which tragically leads to the inappropriate use of anti-malarial drugs, poor cure rates and avoidable deaths.
Images of Coartem are available in the Virtual Media Kit on the Novartis Internet Website in the section "media releases" at: http://dominoext.novartis.com/NC/NCPRRE01.nsf
Please see full press release under the following link: http://reports.huginonline.com/900304/116328.pdf