Horizon Magazine · Health

New Drug Trial Aims to Eradicate Sleeping Sickness

A new EU-funded trial, STROGHAT, is testing a simplified treatment strategy using the drug acoziborole to eliminate the last remaining cases of sleeping sickness, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The goal is to achieve complete eradication by 2030.

Sleeping sickness, or gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT), has seen a dramatic reduction in cases, with only 471 reported worldwide in 2025, mostly in the DRC. However, the remaining few hundred cases pose a risk of resurgence, necessitating intensive efforts to find and treat every infected individual.

The disease, transmitted by tsetse flies, was once responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Decades of screening, surveillance, and improved treatments have led to its near eradication. The STROGHAT trial, led by Dr. Elena Nicco, aims to simplify the treatment process, making it easier to find and treat the remaining cases.

The trial focuses on acoziborole, a single-dose oral drug that has shown 98.1% efficacy in trials. Unlike older, toxic treatments that required extensive confirmation and hospital stays, acoziborole allows for a 'screen-and-treat' approach where individuals testing positive can be treated immediately in their communities, simplifying logistics in remote areas.

This new strategy involves mobile teams screening populations in villages. Anyone testing positive receives immediate treatment, with samples sent for confirmation. The trial also aims to interrupt transmission in a disease hotspot in Nord Équateur, DRC, by expanding screening to surrounding communities. Early results show a low infection rate, with less than 1% of screened individuals showing potential infection.

Community engagement is crucial for success. Researchers are working with local leaders and healthcare workers to build trust, as many communities still bear the scars of past outbreaks. The simplified approach, which brings treatment directly to patients, has fostered enthusiasm and even led to some individuals actively seeking treatment. If successful, this trial could lead to sleeping sickness becoming one of the few infectious diseases eliminated through a combination of scientific innovation, fieldwork, and community trust.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.