River blindness
Developing a rapid cure for millions at risk of blindness
River blindness
Developing a rapid cure for millions at risk of blindness
With a portfolio of three R&D projects, we are advancing the development of new drug candidates to deliver a safe, effective, field-adapted treatment for river blindness.
Filarial diseases, including river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, are a debilitating group of diseases caused by parasitic worms transmitted by the bite of blood-feeding insects. People are infected with river blindness (also known as onchocerciasis) by repeated exposure to blackflies that breed in fast-flowing rivers. The flies transmit worms that can cause severe itching, disfiguring skin conditions, and irreversible blindness. Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa are at risk.
Current approaches to eliminating river blindness rely on mass administration of the drug ivermectin. These campaigns need to be repeated annually or semi-annually for 10 to 15 years, as the drug only kills juvenile worms – not adult worms that can live for more than 10 years in the human body. Ivermectin is not safe for people who also live with Loa Loa (African eye worm) and women who are pregnant – leaving millions at risk.
Field-adapted treatments that can kill adult worms and are safe for all people who need them are urgently needed.
‘When the darkness came over me, not even my glasses were any use to see. I felt desperate, abandoned by society.’
Professor Alfonse, a former teacher, fled conflict in the city to live in the greener pastures of Makana. While tending to his fields, he was bitten by blackflies that transmit river blindness. He dreams for more research and innovation for this neglected disease.
What we have achieved
We have built a portfolio of three R&D projects for river blindness, including two new drug candidates targeting both adult and juvenile worms, and a paediatric formulation of an existing treatment, ivermectin. and are pursuing the clinical development of two new drug candidates.
What we are doing for people with river blindness
We aim to complete development and register at least one new treatment for river blindness. We are advancing the clinical development of two compounds with promising action against the parasite Onchocerca volvulus. Together with the IVM-KIDS consortium, we are also supporting the development of a new paediatric formulation of ivermectin suitable for young children. In Africa, we are supporting FAME, a consortium working to develop a shorter and safer treatment for river blindness by repurposing fusidic acid as an anti-Wolbachia therapy.
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Making medical history for neglected patients
We develop urgently needed treatments for neglected patients and ensure they’re affordable, available, and adapted to the communities who need them
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