WHO to Start Clinical Trial on River Blindness Drug

The World Health Organisation said Wednesday it was launching a clinical trial for a drug that could halve the treatment period for river blindness, a disease that threatens 100 million people mostly in Africa.

The phase three trial of the drug moxidectin, in collaboration with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, would involve 1,500 people in Ghana, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the WHO.

Clinical Trials - Drug development and Approval
The Drug development process is a complex one, where the experimental drug or treatments goes through various stages before it could get rejected or approved.

Also called onchocerciasis, river blindness is caused by a parasitic worm whose larvae are transmitted by the bite of the black fly, which breeds by fast-flowing streams.

The larvae migrate under the skin, where they mature into adult worms that produce more eggs.

The eggs then mature into a threadlike state called microfilariae, before developing into larvae.

All-out Effort Curtails Spreading of River Blindness in Guatemala
An international team of researchers led by Rodrigo Gonzalez of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala reports that the transmission of onchocerciasis or river blindness...

The microfilariae are especially dangerous as they migrate to the surface of the cornea, causing eye infection and, eventually, blindness.

The clinical trial would examine moxidectin's potential to kill or sterilise adult worms.

River Blindness Becoming Drug Resistant
River blindness, playing havoc in Ghana, could be becoming drug resistant, new research says.

River blindness is now being controlled by Merck's ivermectin.

However, the drug kills only the larvae but not the adult worms. As a result, treatment for the disease can last for up to 14 years.

In comparison, if moxidectin proves to be able to neutralise adult worms, it can shorten the treatment period to six years, according to the WHO.

If the trial proves to be positive, the WHO said it would help Wyeth to seek approval for usage in the countries where the disease is endemic.

Source-AFP
LIN