Project Partners

ICDDR,B is the implementing and coordinating agency of the "Scaling Up Zinc Treatment for Young Children with Diarrhoea" (SUZY) Project. The Centre has conducted clinical trials regarding the use of zinc as a treatment for diarrhoea over several years. Based on the promising results of these trials, the Centre submitted a project proposal to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2002 for funding of the scaling up activities to allow all children under five in Bangladesh to benefit from zinc treatment and received the fund in June 2003. The Centre has established a team dedicated to this project. To visit the team please click here. To know more about the Centre click here. In accordance with the revised technology transfer plan, ICDDR,B signed a sub-license agreement with Nutriset for the patent rights to their dispersible zinc premix in Bangladesh. A subcontract was signed between ICDDR,B and The ACME Laboratories Ltd for receipt of technology transfer from Nutriset.
 
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation generously provides funding for the zinc scaling up activities. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports a range of projects aiming to improve human health globally and has supported some of the previous research on zinc and other micronutrients as well.
 
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in collaboration with the SUZY team have developed two committees: (1) a National Advisory Committee, headed by the Health Secretary and (2) a Planning and Implementation Committee, headed by the Joint Secretary, Public Health and WHO. These two committees are formed to have effective effort on policy decision. The National Advisory Committee of MoHFW approved the policy on using zinc in addition to ORS for under-five children suffering from diarrhoea on 13 September 2006 and revised the National Diarrhora Treatment Guideline to incorporate zinc treatment in it. The committee suggested involving pediatricians for their technical opinion and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to augment the scaling up process. The ministry distributes zinc tablets through its primary health care delivery system. In addition, MOHFW also oversaw the approval process for registering the zinc tablet formulation as an over-the-counter medication through its Directorate of Drugs Administration.

Nutriset is a French company, specializing in nutritional interventions for disaster and emergency situations throughout the world. Nutriset has developed the technology to produce a dispersible zinc tablet by the Rodael Pharmaceuticals. Nutriset agreed to transfer the technology of producing zinc dispersible tablet to ICDDR,B and signed the patent licensed agreement with ICDDR,B in July 2005. Under the agreement, ICDDR,B became the sole owner of the patent. To know more about Nutriset and its product go to http://www.nutriset.fr/en_index.php. A confidentiality agreement was signed between Nutriset and ACME, a Bangladeshi drug manufacturer, paving the way for planned technology transfer in fall 2006.

Rodael Pharmaceuticals Laboratories (Laboratoire Pharmaceutique Rodael) is a French company that produces the premix for the zinc tablets. In the first phase of the project, which focuses on research, the premix was shipped to Bangladesh and then turned into tablets by Square Pharmaceuticals. During the scale-up phase of the project, 2004 to 2006, Rodael produced the tablets and shipped them to Bangladesh in blister packs of ten tablets. However, during this period, the entire process for producing the premix and the tablets was transferred to the ACME Laboratories Limited.
In June 2006, a delegation arrived in Dhaka to begin the pilot production and check the quality of zinc dispersible tablet. After the quality assurance was complete, the tablets went through an accelerated stability test for three to four months and finally the product was ready for nationwide scale up under the brand name of Baby Zinc. Baby Zinc tablets were launched on November 23, 2006.

The ACME Laboratories Ltd, the second largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh with an annual turnover of approx. US$50 million, is producing and marketing the zinc tablet formulation under the brand name “Baby Zinc”. After signing the patent licensed agreement with Nutriset in July 2005, ICDDR,B sub-contracted the technology of producing dispersible tablets containing 20 mg zinc sulfate to ACME Laboratories Limited. ACME has a long experience of producing and marketing pharmaceuticals for more than 50 years. ACME’s product range includes both human and veterinary products in a wide range of forms; tablet, capsule, liquid, injectables, cream, ointment, metered dose inhalers etc. Presently, its product line contains 272 products. ACME obtained ISO 9001: 2000 standard certifications in 1999 and continues to comply with it. To know more about The ACME Laboratories Ltd go to http://acmeglobal.com/

Besides, registering the formulation of Baby Zinc at the Drug Administration, ACME got approval for the OTC waiver from Bangladesh Drug Administration. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Dhansiri Media Production House for developing the mass media communication materials of Baby Zinc.

Dhansiri Media Production House is conducting the mass media campaign for scaling up zinc for the treatment of diarrhoea in children under 5 years old..Dhansiri Media was formed in 1997 with a commitment to good quality media works (drama & documentary). But in the course of its journey the firm wanted to extend its range of media activities. In 2002, it was formally formed as an advertising agency - with a young, creative and enthusiastic team of maestros. Since then, it has been successfully handling electronic, print, outdoor campaigns for its valued clients.

Dhansiri has affiliation with one of the leading post production houses in Thailand, Soho Asia, known for its high quality post production with the latest in technology. Soho Asia is specialized in the post production for TV commercials, feature films and documentaries. Dhansiri is committed to deliver high quality and effective mass communication campaign.
 
Dhansiri has developed the Brand Icon for Baby Zinc and the pay off line "Cring Cring...Baby Zinc" which shows the vitality and availability of zinc dispersible tablet as a treatment of diarrhoea throughout the country. Other communication materials like television commercials, radio commercials, press advertisements, billboards have already been developed and the mass media campaign has been launched on 23 November with the formal launching of Baby Zinc.