African Sleeping Sickness

Trypanosomiasis, human African sleeping sickness generally occurs in 36 sub-Saharan African countries. This disease is a vector-borne parasitic disease and is caused by an infection with protozoan parasites and transmitted to humans by the tsetse fly. This disease not only causes severe disruption in sleep patterns, but changes in behavior, confusion and without treatment the disease can ultimately lead to death. Health officials have reported about 1447 cases of African trypanosomiasis, but many believe that the true number of cases is believed to be much higher that what is reported. Treatments of the human African trypanosomiasis include drugs named eflornithine and nifurtimox, both treatments involve a complicated set of procedures including fusions and pills that are administered in a hospital. Many of the countries where most of the cases occur; put these treatments out of reach for many patients because of its complexity. The new drug, fexindazole, is a much simpler treatment in which it can be taken as a once-a-day pill for 10 days without having to be hospitalized. After the DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative), a nonprofit organization, teamed up with drug maker Sanofi, they could test the drug on patients and apply for an EMA recommendation for the drug itself. The EMA has just recently approved of the drug and have expressed a “positive opinion” for the fexindazole, opening opportunities for patients to receive treatment earlier and help slow the spread of the disease as well.