Dundee researchers find potential treatment for fatal tropical disease
Dundee University scientists have discovered a new potential treatment for a neglected tropical disease which kills tens of thousands of people every year.
Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by a parasite, which spread through the bite of infected sandflies.
People infected with the disease suffer fever, weight loss and anaemia, and the disease is typically fatal unless treated.
It is estimated there are 50,000 to 90,000 new cases per year, with 20,000 to 40,000 deaths annually. mainly among the poorest people in
the world. The World Health Organisation says more than six million people are at risk from the disease.
Health experts said current drugs have limitations and are not ideal for use in settings with poor resources.
In a collaboration between the university, GSK and Wellcome, scientists have discovered compound GSK3186899/ DDD853651 which has potential for development as a preclinical candidate drug.
Professor Paul Wyatt, head of the university’s drug discovery unit, said: “This is a significant step forward in our goal to develop new, oral and safer drugs to tackle a disease which kills tens of thousands of people every year.
“The compound still has some way to go before it can be used to treat patients, but we are excited by the great progress that we have made.”