Human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is a parasitic disease spread by tsetse flies. Control efforts reduced confirmed cases from a peak in 1998 to fewer than 600 by 2024, though some infections remain undetected in remote areas.
Acoziborole, developed by Sanofi with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea with results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Trials reported success rates up to 96% at 18 months across early and advanced stages.
The drug is a single oral dose (three tablets taken once) and removes the need for a lumbar puncture to stage disease. This enables test-and-treat care in one visit. Sanofi will manufacture and donate doses to WHO, but national regulatory approval is still required and combined efforts in vector control and community awareness are essential to reach elimination targets by 2030.
Difficult words
- parasitic — caused by a parasite living in another organism
- undetected — not found or noticed by health services
- trial — a medical study to test a new treatmentTrials
- lumbar puncture — a needle test of fluid around the spine
- test-and-treat — test and give treatment in a single visit
- vector control — actions to reduce insects that spread disease
- elimination — complete removal of a disease in an area
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How would a single-visit test-and-treat system help people who live far from health centres?
- What local actions could help find infections that remain undetected in remote areas?
- Do you think donating doses to WHO is enough to reach elimination targets by 2030? Why or why not?
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