Bayer collaborates with DNDi on novel, oral human river blindness treatment

German pharma major Bayer (BAYN: DE) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have signed an agreement under which Bayer will provide the active ingredient emodepside to support DNDi in its effort to develop a new oral drug to treat river blindness (or onchocerciasis).

Emodepside originates from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas (TYO: 4503) and has been developed by Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health division for veterinary use. The compound has been found to be effective in killing adult worms in preclinical studies, thus showing potential as a new ‘macrofilaricidal’ drug for the treatment of patients with river blindness. Astellas has granted Bayer the rights to develop emodepside along these lines.

Large-scale programs for the treatment and control of filarial diseases, such as river blindness, have been in place for over 20 years, based on administering drugs to entire populations. While these mass drug administration (MDA) programs have seen considerable successes, treatments must be repeated at regular intervals of every six or 12 months for up to 17 years to cover the life span of adult worms. This is primarily due to the fact that currently used treatments are ‘microfilaricidal,’ which means that they kill only the young worms. A macrofilaricide such as emodepside, by killing adult worms, could dramatically reduce treatment time of MDAs and could be used in areas and circumstances where the use of microfilaricidal drugs is limited.