Research indicates that a mango-flavored pill combining two established anti-parasitic drugs could help combat the global burden of intestinal worms, impacting around 1.5 billion people.
Mango-Flavored Anti-Parasitic Pill Shows Promise Against Intestinal Worms
Mango-Flavored Anti-Parasitic Pill Shows Promise Against Intestinal Worms
A revolutionary tablet could provide a breakthrough in the battle against intestinal worm infections, researchers report.
In a groundbreaking development, scientists have introduced a mango-flavored tablet designed to combat intestinal worm infections, a major concern affecting approximately 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. This innovative medication, a combination of two existing anti-parasitic drugs, has demonstrated promising results in clinical trials.
The primary concern with intestinal worm infections, particularly soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) such as whipworm and hookworm, is that they often lead to severe gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition, and anemia, predominantly in children. The new pill aims to address potential drug resistance issues while enhancing the management of these infections on a large scale.
Productive trials have suggested that these destructive parasites, often acquired through contaminated food or water, could be effectively treated by the combination of these drugs. The findings come from the "ALIVE" study published in The Lancet, which notes that this new medication could assist countries in meeting the World Health Organization's elimination targets for STHs. The pill can be administered as either a single daily dose or taken over consecutive days, making treatment simpler for mass application.
Professor Jose Muñoz, the project's leader, emphasized the pill's ease of use, stating, "It is easy to administer, as it is one single pill." Additionally, he indicated that the combination of two drugs may help mitigate the risk of the parasites developing resistance to treatments.
The safety and efficacy of this pill were tested in a clinical trial involving 1,001 children aged between 5-18 across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique. Results showed it enhanced treatment effectiveness on various infections when paired with ivermectin, although its efficacy against threadworm was still inconclusive.
Expert in parasitology, Professor Hany Elsheikha, from the University of Nottingham, recognized the pill's potential but highlighted that further research is necessary to understand how well it works for different demographics globally. “This could be a significant improvement over other treatments," he stated.
Regulatory authorities in Europe and Africa are currently evaluating the trial results, with a decision anticipated in early 2025. Meanwhile, new participants are being recruited for a larger trial involving about 20,000 people in Kenya and Ghana. Dr. Stella Kepha from the Kenya Medical Research Institute heralded the pill's potential to enhance the health of affected communities, while acknowledging that further work is needed for widespread implementation of this promising treatment.
The primary concern with intestinal worm infections, particularly soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) such as whipworm and hookworm, is that they often lead to severe gastrointestinal problems, malnutrition, and anemia, predominantly in children. The new pill aims to address potential drug resistance issues while enhancing the management of these infections on a large scale.
Productive trials have suggested that these destructive parasites, often acquired through contaminated food or water, could be effectively treated by the combination of these drugs. The findings come from the "ALIVE" study published in The Lancet, which notes that this new medication could assist countries in meeting the World Health Organization's elimination targets for STHs. The pill can be administered as either a single daily dose or taken over consecutive days, making treatment simpler for mass application.
Professor Jose Muñoz, the project's leader, emphasized the pill's ease of use, stating, "It is easy to administer, as it is one single pill." Additionally, he indicated that the combination of two drugs may help mitigate the risk of the parasites developing resistance to treatments.
The safety and efficacy of this pill were tested in a clinical trial involving 1,001 children aged between 5-18 across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique. Results showed it enhanced treatment effectiveness on various infections when paired with ivermectin, although its efficacy against threadworm was still inconclusive.
Expert in parasitology, Professor Hany Elsheikha, from the University of Nottingham, recognized the pill's potential but highlighted that further research is necessary to understand how well it works for different demographics globally. “This could be a significant improvement over other treatments," he stated.
Regulatory authorities in Europe and Africa are currently evaluating the trial results, with a decision anticipated in early 2025. Meanwhile, new participants are being recruited for a larger trial involving about 20,000 people in Kenya and Ghana. Dr. Stella Kepha from the Kenya Medical Research Institute heralded the pill's potential to enhance the health of affected communities, while acknowledging that further work is needed for widespread implementation of this promising treatment.
