by Hübner MP, Martin C, Specht S, Koschel M, Dubben B, Frohberger SJ, Ehrens A, Fendler M, Struever D, Mitre E, Vallarino-Lhermitte N, Gokool S, Lustigman S, Schneider M, Townson S, Hoerauf A, Scandale I. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2020;14(7): e0008427. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008427
Summary: Current efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are hampered by the lack of short-course drugs that kill adult worms or regimens that are proven to be safe for both diseases. The authors investigated the efficacy of anthelmintic drug oxfendazole, used in veterinary medicine, in an animal model of filariasis. Oxfendazole caused complete clearance of adult worms but was not directly active against juvenile worms, suggesting that drug-induced serious adverse events due to microfilariae clearance are unlikely. Based on these results, the predicted human dose is within a range already been shown to be safe in phase 1 clinical trials. Oxfendazole is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of human filarial diseases.
