In search of shorter, better treatments to stop a silent killer

Chagas disease

In search of shorter, better treatments to stop a silent killer

We developed the first-ever treatment for children and established a research network of over 400 people representing 150 organizations on three continents to advance new treatments and improve patients’ lives. Our teams are now working to develop safer, more effective medicines and to break down barriers to testing and treatment. There are only two drugs – both discovered half a century ago – available to treat Chagas disease, a potentially fatal parasitic illness transmitted by insects known as ‘kissing bugs’, that hide in cracks in walls and furniture. If not treated, Chagas disease can cause irreversible, life-threatening damage to the heart and other vital organs. Endemic in Latin America and the southern US, it is also present in Europe, Japan, and Australia. The current treatment for the disease is effective but lasts eight weeks and sometimes has serious side effects.

people living with Chagas

> 0 million

people diagnosed

< 0 %

people experience cardiac or other organ damage

0 %

people are at risk

> 0 million

‘We need to raise the population’s awareness about Chagas disease and eliminate beliefs and fears about treatment.’

Wilson Fernando Torres works as a specialized professional in technical health public management for the Ministry of Health in the Province of Casanare and is also the physician of reference for Chagas disease in Casanare.

What we have achieved

We have been active in Chagas research and development, treatment access, and advocacy for more than two decades. Together with our research partners, we helped create the Chagas Clinical Research Platform, a network of over 400 members representing 150 organizations across three continents, to utilize and strengthen R&D capacity in endemic countries.

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Treatment Delivered

Paediatric Benznidazole

First-ever treatment for children. With our partners, we developed and registered the first-ever formulations of benznidazole for treating infants and children with Chagas disease.  

What we are doing for people living with Chagas disease

Our goal is to make treatment safer, simpler, and more effective. We are also working to improve access to testing and treatment, and develop better tests of cure for treatment monitoring.

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Registration & access

Chagas Access Project

Boosting access to diagnosis and treatment. Fewer than 10% of people with Chagas know they have the disease. We are working with Ministries of Health and a broad range of partners in Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, and elsewhere to expand people’s access to diagnosis and treatment.

Translational research

Chagas biomarkers

Proving treatment efficacy remains a challenge. The lack of a reliable test to monitor treatment efficacy is a major hurdle for developing new drugs for Chagas disease. We are supporting research and raising awareness of the need for ‘biomarkers’ that can be measured with quick and accurate tests.

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Drug discovery

UW series

Drug discovery

Series-5824 (MT)

Chagas disease news & resources

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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

Young boy sitting on a hospital bed being examined by a nurse

Chagas disease

Causes heart and vital organ damage, after people are bitten by blood-sucking bugs

We delivered the first-ever treatment for children; now we’re searching for new drug candidates and working to boost access to care

Cryptococcal meningitis

Without treatment, deadly for thousands of people with advanced HIV

We’re working to improve access to life-saving treatments and developing an easier-to-use formulation

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

Leaves disfiguring, life-long scars that lead to severe social stigma

We’re working to develop safer, shorter treatments for this disabling disease

Doctor with young patient in hospital setting

Dengue

Rapidly spreading climate-sensitive disease with no specific treatment

We’re building a global partnership with dengue-endemic countries to develop a first treatment

Father walking in rural village with a cane and holding his son's hand

Filaria: river blindness

Lead to unbearable itching, disfiguring skin lesions, and even blindness

We’re working to develop a safe, effective, and affordable drug for the prevention and treatment of this debilitating disease

Hepatitis C

Millions are left without treatment even though effective drugs exist

We’ve delivered a treatment as simple, safe, and effective as the best drugs available today – at a fraction of the cost

Woman standing in front of her door house in a rural village in Sudan

Mycetoma

Often ends in amputation, after people get infected from stepping on a thorn

We conducted the world’s first trial for an alternative to current treatments, which are toxic and difficult to administer

Mother holding her baby in her arms smiling

Paediatric HIV

Without treatment, half of children die before their second birthday

We’ve developed a strawberry-flavoured treatment to meet the needs of children long neglected by the global HIV response

Pandemic Preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified global health inequalities

We’re bringing together partners and accelerating research to prepare for future viral pandemics in low-resource settings

Doctor diagnosing a man in a village with his hands on the man's neck

Sleeping sickness

Transmitted by the bite of a tsetse fly and causes severe neurological disorders

We delivered a revolutionary new drug to replace toxic treatments, and have ongoing trials to eliminate this disease

Visceral leishmaniasis

Is one of the world’s biggest parasitic killers, spread by the bites of sandflies

We’re working to develop a new generation of treatments to replace drugs that are painful, ineffective, and cause side effects

Chagas disease

Cryptococcal meningitis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

Dengue

Filaria: river blindness

Hepatitis C

Mycetoma

Paediatric HIV

Pandemic Preparedness

Sleeping sickness

Visceral leishmaniasis

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International non-profit developing safe, effective, and affordable treatments for the most neglected patients.

Chagas disease

In search of shorter, better treatments to stop a silent killer

Chagas disease

In search of shorter, better treatments to stop a silent killer

‘We need to raise the population’s awareness about Chagas disease and eliminate beliefs and fears about treatment.’

What we have achieved

What we are doing for people living with Chagas disease

Chagas disease news & resources

Making medical history for neglected patients

Chagas disease

Cryptococcal meningitis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

Dengue

Filaria: river blindness

Hepatitis C

Mycetoma

Paediatric HIV

Pandemic Preparedness

Sleeping sickness

Visceral leishmaniasis

Chagas disease

Cryptococcal meningitis

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

Dengue

Filaria: river blindness

Hepatitis C

Mycetoma

Paediatric HIV

Pandemic Preparedness

Sleeping sickness

Visceral leishmaniasis

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