[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5353-S5354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

 Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on behalf 
of a charitable contribution worthy of note. Lymphatic filariasis is a 
terrible disease that our citizens are not likely to see here in the 
United States, but it is one of the World's most disabling and 
disfiguring diseases. It affects people in 73 countries, mainly in 
tropical and subtropical areas of India, Africa, Asia and South 
America.
  The disease is caused by a parasite, carried by mosquitoes. Efforts 
to eliminate mosquitoes have not been successful in these regions, and 
the result is an endless cycle of infection for human hosts.
  The World Health Organization has embarked on a campaign to stop this 
dread disease. Lymphatic filariasis infects 76 million people world 
wide. The parasitic worms, often only the size of a thread, live in 
humans by lodging in the lymphatic system. They live for up to six 
years, producing millions of microscopic larvae that circulate in the 
blood. When symptoms appear, they can be devastating. Kidney damage and 
painful swelling of the extremities are typical examples of the 
suffering endured by these victims.
  The best previous defense against this disease was the administration 
of a single dose of two drugs, diethlycarbamazine of DEC and 
ivermectin. But when these drugs are administered at the same time with 
another drug, albendazole, the treatment is much more effective. 
Albendazole additionally kills hookworm, a very severe problem, 
especially in Africa.
  Earlier this year, the World Health Organization's Division of 
Tropical Diseases announced a program to eliminate lymphatic 
filariasis. The cornerstone of this eradication program rests on the 
most generous charitable contribution in history. SmithKline Beecham, 
one of the world's leading healthcare companies, announced that they 
will provide their drug albendazole free of charge for the WHO effort. 
In addition to the drug donation, they are providing significant 
financial support to WHO to help implement the eradication program.
  Yesterday, SmithKline Beecham testified before the House Committee on 
International Relations during a hearing on the Eradication and 
Elimination of Six Infectious Diseases. Dr. David Heymann, WHO's 
Director of Emerging and Communicable Diseases was also testifying. Dr. 
Heymann has been a great resource and help to me as I've learned about 
the growing problem of global viral and bacterial epidemics.
  The hearing was worth noting, because it featured the contributions 
of many in the private sector to eradicate disease. Rotary 
International has made great progress in their effort to eliminate 
polio around the world. Merck & Co. has very generously, provided their 
drug Mectizan for the control of River Blindness, another filarial 
parasitic disease.

[[Page S5354]]

  Another tireless worker on behalf of World Health, and someone who 
played a major role in both the Merck and SmithKline Beecham donations, 
is former President Jimmy Carter. He deserves our thanks and 
recognition for his efforts.
  For the benefit of my colleagues who may not have been aware of 
yesterday's hearing, I'd like to submit for the Record the statement 
provided by Dr. Brian Bagnall, the Program Director for Lymphatic 
Filariasis for SmithKline Beecham. They are to be congratulated for 
their generosity and committment to world health.
  The statement follows:

        Testimony of Brian Bagnall, Ph.D, for SmithKline Beecham


                              Introduction

       My name is Dr. Brian Bagnall and I am the Program Director 
     for Lymphatic Filariasis at SmithKline Beecham. The company 
     is one of the world's leading healthcare corporations. We 
     market pharmaceuticals, vaccines, overt-the-counter 
     medicines, and health-related consumer products. We have 
     54,000 employees worldwide, 22,000 of them in the U.S.


                     What is Lymphatic Filariasis?

       The most eloquent answer I can provide is to show you the 
     following two-minute videotape which includes some comments 
     made by President Carter at a recent company meeting. (Shows 
     video--see appendix for text).


     Dramatic Progress Achieved on Lymphatic Filariasis Eradication

       The dreadful disease you just saw on the video is now 
     entirely preventable. SmithKline Beecham is committed to 
     doing whatever it takes to help rid the world of it.
       SmithKline Beecham announced an agreement this past January 
     with the World Health Organization, through its Division of 
     Control of Tropical Diseases, to collaborate on a global 
     program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. This program was 
     established after much of the GAO report was drafted. So I'm 
     happy to be able to provide an update on our joint program. 
     It's a massive undertaking to attack the world's most 
     disabling and disfiguring tropical disease.
       The necessary tools and strategies of diagnosing and 
     treating this parasitic worm infection have been developed 
     only recently. They have proven so effective that we can now 
     envision worldwide eradication of lymphatic filariasis by the 
     year 2020. Please note that this target date is ten years 
     sooner than the previous estimated date of 2030 which was 
     mentioned by WHO in March 1997 in their submission for the 
     GAO report. There has obviously been exceptional progress. 
     The aim is to treat people living in at-risk areas with two 
     antiparasitic drugs just once a year for four to six years.
       One of the drugs will be albendazole, donated free of 
     charge by SmithKline Beecham. We are planning to produce 
     about 5 billion treatments to be used in the 73 target 
     countries over the next 15 of so years. In addition to the 
     drug donation, we will support the WHO efforts with financial 
     support, management expertise and education and training 
     help.
       Together with WHO, we are currently in the planning and 
     organizing phase of the program. We hope to begin shipping 
     the first drug donations in the next 6 months to national 
     Ministries of Health which have submitted elimination plans 
     to WHO.


           breaking the transmission of lymphatic filariasis

       The treatment program I have described, devised by WHO with 
     the scientific and tropical medicine community, has a special 
     mission--breaking the transmission of lymphatic filariasis. 
     It is a truly preventive public health program aimed 
     particularly at children and young adults who are infected 
     with the parasite but who have not yet developed the long-
     term effects of the disease.
       The children usually show no symptoms whatsoever. I might 
     add that there is an additional and important benefit of the 
     program for children and women of childbearing age--the drugs 
     used will significantly reduce concurrent intestinal worm 
     infections, such as hookworm, which cause anemia, stunt 
     growth and inhibit intellectual development.
       This strategic drug treatment program does not itself 
     reverse the clinical damage of elephantiasis which results 
     from decades of infection. Such disabled individuals will, 
     nonetheless, benefit from an effective parallel program being 
     recommended by WHO which focuses on skin hygiene and wound 
     prevention.
       In some respects, lymphatic filariasis can be compared to 
     AIDS and HIV. Both diseases have a long latent period with 
     years of symptomless infection which can then be transmitted 
     to others. Both are now being treated with multiple drug 
     therapy.


              private sector partnerships for the future.

       I have said that SmithKline Beecham will do whatever it 
     takes to help rid the world of this simply dreadful and now 
     wholly preventable disease. But large organizations such as 
     WHO and SmithKline Beecham, even with support from the likes 
     of the World Bank, cannot do this alone. We are actively 
     seeking to build a Coalition of Partners for Lymphatic 
     Filariasis Elimination from the public, private and non-
     profit sectors which make up the worldwide community of 
     public health resources for the developing world.
       We also recognize the generous contribution Merck & Co. 
     have made in the past 10 years with their Mectizan Donation 
     Program for control of River Blindness, another filarial 
     parasite disease. We are keeping in close touch with them and 
     hope to work together in the future as part of a growing 
     private sector coalition to fight tropical diseases.
       Over the past few months we have been encouraged by the 
     messages of support we have received since our program was 
     announced, including many of your colleagues from the House 
     and Senate. We, together with WHO, want to hear from anyone 
     who wants to join the campaign. We particularly seek partners 
     from other corporations who can help make a major difference 
     by donating their expertise in transportation and shipping, 
     information management, community treatment programs or the 
     provision of other essential drugs. We will gladly speak with 
     others from within the public and private sector about 
     joining us in this cause. And we seek and encourage 
     governments from the developed world to help as well.
       Mr. Chairman, we applaud you and the Committee for holding 
     this hearing because it will sound a clear call for action by 
     both the public and private sectors to unite in eradication 
     of these seven terrible diseases.
       I would like to conclude by saying that the lymphatic 
     filariasis elimination program complements SmithKline 
     Beecham's much broader approach to improve health. It is our 
     aim, through our products, services and community partnership 
     programs, to enrich the health of everyone in the world. Our 
     collaboration with the World Health Organization allows us to 
     directly improve the health of at least one-fifth of the 
     earth's population and this program will spearhead our 
     healthcare focus within global communities into the new 
     millennium.

                          ____________________