Merck Commemorates 5 Billion Mectizan® Treatments Donated Over 38 Years
November 17, 2025 6:45 am EST
Extension of Mectizan Donation for Triple Therapy Advances Fight Against Lymphatic Filariasis Through 2030
RAHWAY, N.J., November 17, 2025 – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, is extending the donation of up to 100 million ivermectin treatments annually through 2030, reinforcing its longstanding commitment to the global elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended triple drug therapy strategy.
This renewed pledge is driven by the strong progress reported by the WHO, including the milestone achievement of Timor-Leste becoming the first country in 2024 to eliminate LF using this approach.
“By extending our commitment, we aim to ensure that national LF elimination programs in endemic countries continue to have reliable access to the treatments needed to protect vulnerable populations and strengthen health systems,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “This work is essential to achieving the WHO’s Neglected Tropical Disease Road Map, which targets global elimination by 2030.”
Merck’s donation supports the co-administration of ivermectin (Mectizan), diethylcarbamazine and albendazole — commonly referred to as “triple therapy” — in countries where onchocerciasis (river blindness) is not co-endemic. LF, also known as elephantiasis, is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that severely damages the lymphatic system. It can lead to extreme swelling of the limbs and genitals, resulting in lifelong disability, pain and social stigma.
“WHO is deeply grateful to Merck for its generosity and solidarity with communities affected by LF," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In a time of declining resources for global health, in-kind commitments and public-private partnerships are more important than ever. These partnerships have brought us so far in the fight against LF and are the foundation for eliminating many neglected tropical diseases. Together, we can finish the job.”
Merck first pledged in 1987 to provide Mectizan for the treatment of river blindness, a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, transmitted through the bite of black flies that breed near fast-flowing streams and rivers, for as much as needed, as long as needed. The Mectizan Donation Program was established that same year as an independent body to oversee Merck’s donation. In 1998, the program expanded to support LF elimination in African countries and Yemen, where LF and river blindness are co-endemic.
In 2017, Merck further strengthened its support by adding up to 100 million additional treatments annually through 2025 to accelerate LF elimination with triple therapy. Research shows that the use of triple therapy reduces the parasites in the blood significantly longer than two-drug regimens, requiring fewer number of treatment rounds needed to interrupt LF transmission. The new five-year extension builds on demonstrated success in countries implementing triple therapy to eliminate LF.
Once endemic in 72 countries, LF has now been eliminated as a public health threat in 21 countries across five WHO regions, with the disease remaining endemic and requiring mass treatment in just 39 countries.
To date, Merck has donated more than 5 billion Mectizan treatments to 62 countries, resulting in the successful elimination of river blindness or LF in nine countries by incorporating Mectizan into national public health strategies. In addition, more than 340 million people no longer require treatment in subnational regions of several African countries as disease transmission is believed to have been eliminated.
About the Mectizan® Donation Program
The Mectizan Donation Program (MDP) was established at the Task Force for Global Health in 1987 to provide medical, technical and administrative oversight of the donation of MECTIZAN® by Merck for the treatment of onchocerciasis. In 1998, the MDP expanded its mandate to include coordination of the donation of albendazole by GSK to be distributed in conjunction with Mectizan for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in onchocerciasis co-endemic areas. In 2017 the mandate was further extended to oversee the donation of Mectizan for IDA in eligible countries.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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