Drug development for the treatment of onchocerciasis: Population pharmacokinetic and adverse events modeling of emodepside

by Assmus F, Hoglund RM, Monnot F, Specht S, Scandale I, Tarning J PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2022;16(3):e0010219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010219

Summary: The currently recommended treatment for onchocerciasis, ivermectin, kills juvenile but not adult worms, meaning that treatment needs to be repeated for 10–15 years. A drug that kills the adult parasite is urgently needed to accelerate progress towards onchocerciasis elimination. Emodepside is a promising drug candidate which was recently administered to healthy volunteers for the first time. In this study, the authors characterized the relationship between dose, systemic exposure in human, and the probability of experiencing an adverse event. Modelling and simulation were used to propose a short-course dosing regimen which balances risks and benefits in order to achieve efficacy while maintaining safety. The results support further clinical development of emodepside as a potential tool for onchocerciasis elimination.

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