by Kratz JM, Gonçalves KR, Romera LMD, Moraes CB, Bittencourt-Cunha P, Schenkman S, Chatelain E, Sosa-Estani S. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2021; 116: e200501. doi: 10.1590/0074-02760200501
Summary: There is an urgent need for safe, effective, and accessible new treatments for Chagas disease since the currently approved drugs have serious limitations. Drug development for Chagas disease has historically been hampered by the complexity of the disease, critical knowledge gaps, and lack of coordinated R&D efforts. This review covers some of the translational challenges associated with the progression of new chemical entities from preclinical to clinical phases of development and discusses how recent technological advances might allow the research community to answer key questions relevant to the disease and to overcome hurdles in R&D for Chagas disease.