Professor Jorge Seixas takes us on a journey through the latest developments in the treatment for Human African Trypanosomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness.
He highlights two significant projects led by Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), with participation from GHTM-IHMT-NOVA and financed by EDCTP 2, aimed at expanding treatment options for a broader range of patients, including those with the more neglected form of the disease.
HAT-r-ACC demonstrated the effectiveness of Fexinidazole, the first all-oral drug for sleeping sickness, in treating T.b rhodesiense, the more virulent but less widespread subspecies of the parasite affecting humans. In June 2024, WHO updated its guidelines to reflect these findings, marking a significant step forward in the treatment of this form of the disease.
The momentum in drug development continued with acoziborole, a groundbreaking single-dose, oral treatment for both the initial and advanced stages of sleeping sickness caused by T.b. gambiense. ACOZI-KIDS, a still ongoing project, focuses on extending this treatment to children, in substitution of the injectable and complex to administer existing drugs, thus broadening the impact of this innovative medication.
This new set of tools is a game-changer, offering easier-to-implement treatments and raising hopes for the sustained elimination of sleeping sickness.