New Target Product Profiles for pre-eclampsia prevention and treatment

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a TPP as a document that describes the minimum and preferred (or optimal) characteristics of a target product, aimed at a particular disease or diseases. They specify the key characteristics that the intervention must address, such as (but not limited to) clinical indication, target population, desired efficacy, safety, formulation/presentation and stability and storage. TPPs are an important resource for multiple stakeholders in the R&D pathway, including funders, researchers, product developers, manufacturers and regulators.

Pre-eclampsia is the most common hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, affecting an estimated 4.6 percent of pregnant women globally, and is a leading cause of maternal mortality. The only cure for pre-eclampsia is initiated by the birth of the baby and delivery of the placenta, and there is lack of effective medicines for preventing and treating pre-eclampsia.

A research paper released in Oct 2022 describes the development of the first ever target product profiles for preterm birth medicines. It’s the first peer reviewed publication on the development of TPPs for any pregnancy condition.