Eli Lilly and UNICEF USA have announced a collaboration aiming to improve noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and care for children, reaching over 30 million young people and caregivers across 21 low and middle-income countries.

Marking its 150th anniversary, Lilly is committing $50m to UNICEF USA, supporting UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare systems to better prevent, detect and manage NCDs such as diabetes, congenital heart disease, sickle cell disease and respiratory illness in children and adolescents.

It will also strengthen prevention, care and support for children living with overweight and obesity, helping reduce long-term health risks for children, their families and communities.

This six-year commitment (2026-2032) builds on a UNICEF model that has evolved from pilot programmes into a sustainable, multi-country approach embedded within national health systems.

NCDs are rising rapidly among children and adolescents worldwide, with the greatest impact in low- and middle-income countries, which account for 82% of premature deaths linked to these conditions.

Without timely disease prevention and management, these conditions can lead to lifelong health challenges, yet access to early detection, care and long-term support remains limited.

Shionogi has dosed the first patients in the phase 2 clinical trial evaluating S-606001, a potential treatment for late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD).

The Espirit trial will last 52 weeks, with patients enrolled from across the US, EU
and UK, evaluating S-606001 in adults with LOPD compared to standard of care enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

Affecting around one in every 22,000 people worldwide, Pompe disease is a rare
genetic metabolic disorder that causes an accumulation of glycogen in tissues
throughout the body, which can lead to severe weakness and respiratory issues.

S-606001 is an investigational SRT that is believed to work by limiting glycogen
build-up in muscle lysosome by inhibiting glycogen synthase (GYS1). ERT, the current
approved treatment for Pompe disease, infuses more GAA enzyme to increase
glycogen breakdown. SRT blocks the GYS1 enzyme to slow down glycogen build-up.
Compared to ERT, SRT targets the opposite side of the glycogen build-up, with the
potential to work alone or in combination with ERT.

S-606001 received a rare paediatric disease designation and an Orphan Drug
Designation from the US FDA in 2025 and 2022, respectively.

UCB has presented new data at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting 2026 highlighting the impact of epilepsy on quality of life for both patients and caregivers.

The findings include interim survey results in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), showing that more than a quarter of patients experience daily sleep disturbances. These were linked to temporary loss of activities of daily living (ADLs) and communication in a significant proportion of cases.

Additional real-world data showed that prolonged seizures affect the ability to carry out everyday activities, with 88% of patients and 96% of caregivers reporting disruption. Seizures were also associated with reduced work productivity and increased anxiety and depression among both groups.

A subgroup analysis of patients experiencing prolonged seizures found higher use of healthcare resources compared with non-prolonged events, including increased hospitalisations, emergency visits and ambulance use.

“Families living with LGS manage far more than seizures alone. Fewer emergency room visits, hospitalisations and ambulance use can translate into less disruption, fewer crises and more stability for families,” said UCB Head of US Medical Neurology, Hugo Xi.