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Neglected tropical diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of about 20 communicable, often-debilitating conditions that affect more than 1.7 billion people in 150 countries around the world. These diseases – such as soil transmitted helminths (STH), dengue and leprosy – disproportionately impact the poorest and most vulnerable communities. NTDs have a considerable impact on the lives of the people they affect, contributing to significant morbidity and long-term loss of economic productivity.
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In 2012, Johnson & Johnson joined with leading global health organizations to sign the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, a landmark, first-of-its-kind collaboration, which has helped drive impressive progress in the control, elimination and eradication of NTDs in the decade since. In 2022, Johnson & Johnson reaffirmed its commitment in the global fight against NTDs, once again joining with the global community to sign the Kigali Declaration building on the London Declaration to drive progress in support of the WHO’s 2030 roadmap.

Johnson & Johnson has been a committed partner in the fight against NTDs for more than 15 years, and we remain steadfast in our commitments, even amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From the lab to last mile, we are continuing our work to deliver solutions for intestinal worms, also known as soil transmitted helminths (STH), and are exploring potential solutions for dengue and leprosy.
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Our focus areas

Soil-transmitted helminths

Delivering our intestinal worm medicine to children in need

Dengue fever

Advancing early-stage R&D for new prevention and treatment methods

Leprosy

Exploring shortened and simplified regimens to help improve treatment

Our enduring commitment to combat intestinal worms

Johnson & Johnson has long worked to tackle intestinal worm, or soil transmitted helminths infections, which despite being treatable, are the most widespread NTD, impacting more than 1.5 billion people worldwide, including 835 million children
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In 2006, we launched our medicine donation program and collaborated to launch the first program focused exclusively on reducing intestinal worms in school-aged children. In 2012, as part of our commitment to the London Declaration, we increased our annual donation from 50 million to 200 million doses each year and have since extended the program through 2025 and transitioned the donation program to a new chewable formulation of the medicine, allowing for ease of dosing for children as young as 1 year of age. To date, Johnson & Johnson has donated more than 2 billion doses of its medicine to help enable children to grow and thrive.
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By the numbers

2B+
Doses of our intestinal worm medicine donated since 2006
200M
Doses of our medicine for intestinal worms donated each year
53+
Countries receiving our intestinal worm medicine through our donation program

Unlocking NTD innovation through collaboration

Investing in local scientific capacity

In June 2022, Johnson & Johnson launched the first Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery in Asia at Duke-NUS in Singapore. This unique research collaboration brings together leading scientists in the Asia Pacific region with Johnson & Johnson to help stimulate the early-stage science, innovation and talent development needed to tackle flaviviruses, including dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other pandemic threats.

Enabling research

Johnson & Johnson, in partnership with WIPO Re:Search, has made its JumpstARter Library available to drug discovery researchers in order to identify and advance promising drug candidates to fight neglected infectious diseases. The library includes a diverse collection of 80,000 high-quality drug-like small molecules and compound fragments created to “jump-start” drug discovery collaborations.

People and progress

Johnson & Johnson Marks More Than 2 Billion Doses of Medicine Donated to Date to Help Combat Intestinal Worms

Millions of children in more than 50 countries have received deworming medication since the donation program began in 2006, enabling them to grow and thrive The Company continues to build upon its longstanding commitment to address neglected tropical diseases through R&D efforts targeting dengue and leprosy
  • The new chewable formulation of our medicine to treat intestinal worms is of added value in allowing easier treatment for children as young as 1 year of age. Our donation helps children grow and thrive to lead healthier, more productive lives.
    Lynn Leonard
    STH Program Lead, Global Public Health
  • Within our company, we recognize that more of the same won’t do. Instead, today’s evolving public health threats require us to undertake new and innovative approaches to achieve long-term impact for entire communities—not just individuals—in the world’s most vulnerable populations. This fight can only be won if we all work together.
    Marinx Van Loock
    R&D Lead Emerging Pathogens, Global Public Health
  • By enabling basic research around NTDs, we are making a difference in identifying new targets and molecular templates that can be potentially developed into effective therapeutics. All of these efforts are contributing to our goal of being able to effectively treat and eliminated neglected tropical diseases
    Paul Jackson
    Scientific Director, Global Public Health
  • The current multi-drug therapy for leprosy works; however, further simplifying and shortening treatment, developing alternative treatments in case of resistance to current leprosy therapy and being able to prevent transmission are what is needed to aid in elimination of leprosy in the world.
    Tine De Marez
    Compound Development Team Leader, Global Public Health

Program highlights

Johnson & Johnson Opens First Satellite Center for Global Health Discovery in Asia Pacific at Duke-NUS to Advance Dengue Research

The new Satellite Center will work to accelerate discovery research against flaviviruses, including dengue, which impacts 400 million people each year This effort will build on Johnson & Johnson’s decade-long legacy and ongoing collaboration with Duke-NUS in early-stage dengue research The Satellite Center is the first Asia Pacific site in Johnson & Johnson’s network of research collaborations aimed at addressing entrenched and emerging pandemic threats

Johnson & Johnson Marks More Than 2 Billion Doses of Medicine Donated to Date to Help Combat Intestinal Worms

Millions of children in more than 50 countries have received deworming medication since the donation program began in 2006, enabling them to grow and thrive The Company continues to build upon its longstanding commitment to address neglected tropical diseases through R&D efforts targeting dengue and leprosy

Statement on Completion of First-in-Human Trial Evaluating a Dengue-specific Antiviral Compound

Statement attributed to Marnix Van Loock, Lead for Emerging Pathogens, Global Public Health R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV