New Bayer Drug for Chagas Disease Treatment Receives U.S. Food and Drugs Administration Approval

 


 Chagas disease is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas. The condition, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and can be divided into acute and chronic phases, with the clinical phase causing heart, esophagus or intestinal symptoms. Chagas disease is common in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 300,000 persons with Trypanosoma cruzi infection live in the U.S. Symptoms of the condition include, mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, body aches, and headaches. Diarrhea, loss of appetite, rash, and vomiting, and swelling on the side of the face are some other symptoms.

Chagas disease treatment includes use of antiparasitics such as benznidazole and nifurtimox. Benznidazole is usually considered the first-line treatment. A single dose of benznidazole is highly effective in eliminating more than 90% of parasites. However, use of benznidazole may lead to several side effects such as abdominal pain, rash, weight loss, headache, and nausea. Various organizations are focused on R&D of more effective treatment options for Chagas disease. In September 2020, Fundación MEDINA, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, and Institut Pasteur Korea were awarded a grant of around US$ 1,100,000 from “la Caixa” Health Research 2020 program for R&D of natural products for the treatment of Chagas disease.

The U.S. Food and Drugs Administration has recently approved a new drug for Chagas disease treatment. In August 2020, Bayer received the FDA approval for Lampit (nifurtimox) for the treatment of Chagas disease in pediatric patients. Memantine, a drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, was recently found to be effective in treating Chagas disease. Such developments promote R&D in alternative therapies for Chagas disease treatment.

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