Perspective on Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery: Highlights from a Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery Workshop at Wellcome Collection, London, September 2022

Nicola Caldwell, Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.
Rana Afshar, Global Health Institute of Merck, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Ares Trading S.A., Route de Crassier 1, 1262 Eysins, Switzerland.
Beatriz Baragaña, Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.
Amaya L. Bustinduy, Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
Conor R. Caffrey, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0657, La Jolla, California 92093, United States.
James J. Collins, Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Forest Park Road, Dallas, Texas 75235, United States.
Daniela Fusco, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
Amadou Garba, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Mark Gardner, Salvensis Ltd., 27 New Dover Rd., Canterbury, Kent CT1 3DN, United Kingdom.
Mireille Gomes, Global Health Institute of Merck, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Ares Trading S.A., Route de Crassier 1, 1262 Eysins, Switzerland.
Karl F. Hoffmann, Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Edward Llwyd Building, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, United Kingdom.
Michael Hsieh, Division of Urology, Children's National Hospital, and Department of Urology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20010, United States.
Nathan C. Lo, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94110, United States.
Case W. McNamara, Calibr, a division of Scripps Research, North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
Justin Komguep Nono, Unit of Immunobiology and Helminth Infections, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (IMPM), Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaoundé 13033, Cameroon.
Gilda Padalino, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, United Kingdom.
Kevin D. Read, Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.
Meta Roestenberg, Department of Parasitology and Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Thomas Spangenberg, Global Health Institute of Merck, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Ares Trading S.A., Route de Crassier 1, 1262 Eysins, Switzerland.
Sabine Specht, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Ian H. Gilbert, Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-12-2023

Journal

ACS infectious diseases

Volume

9

Issue

5

DOI

10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00081

Keywords

Schistosoma; anthelmintics; drug discovery; infectious disease; neglected tropical disease; schistosomiasis; target product profile; therapeutics

Abstract

In September 2022, the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee, UK, organised an international meeting at the Wellcome Collection in London to explore the current clinical situation and challenges associated with treating schistosomiasis. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the need for new treatments in view of the clinical situation and to ascertain what the key requirements would be for any potential new anti-schistosomals. This information will be essential to inform ongoing drug discovery efforts for schistosomiasis. We also discussed the potential drug discovery pathway and associated criteria for progressing compounds to the clinic. To date, praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug available to treat all species causing schistosomiasis, but it is often unable to completely clear parasites from an infected patient, partially due to its inactivity against juvenile worms. PZQ-mediated mass drug administration campaigns conducted in endemic areas (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa, where schistosomiasis is primarily prevalent) have contributed to reducing the burden of disease but will not eliminate the disease as a public health problem. The potential for to develop resistance towards PZQ, as the sole treatment available, could become a concern. Consequently, new anthelmintic medications are urgently needed, and this Perspective aims to capture some of the learnings from our discussions on the key criteria for new treatments.

Department

Urology

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