Researchers from Federal University of Ouro Preto and affiliated organizations presented the discovery of novel antitrypanosomal agents with activity against Trypanosoma cruzi.
Parasitic diseases caused by trypanosomatid protozoa have long been treated with traditional methods. However, the effectiveness of current treatments for leishmaniasis is limited. Some are toxic, or have been abandoned, such as in the cases of Chagas disease and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness.
Bayer AG’s Lampit (nifurtimox) to treat Chagas disease in pediatric patients, approved by the FDA on Friday, is an oral, antiprotozoal medication for newborns to patients under 18, who weigh at least 2.5 kg and are diagnosed with Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi.