New therapy for visceral leishmaniasis: India licenses miltefosine, the first oral drug for visceral leishmaniasis

Overview

Scientists have developed a new treatment for the 500 000 people who develop visceral leishmaniasis each year, a disease also known as “black fever” and “kala azar.” The new drug, miltefosine (Impavido®), could save most of the 60 000 who die from the disease every year. Miltefosine is likely to cost less and is much easier to deliver than all current therapies. In clinical trials, it cured 95% of treated patients.

Miltefosine is the first oral drug against leishmaniasis. It moved from the laboratory bench through to registration in 6 years (most medicines can take twice as long) thanks to a collaboration between the Government of India, the drug’s manufacturer, German biopharmaceutical company Zentaris, and TDR (Tropical Diseases Research), a programme cosponsored by the UNDP, the World Bank, and WHO. Miltefosine has now been approved for use in India, which has 50% of the global burden of visceral leishmaniasis. With this drug, the Government of India hopes to reach its goal of eliminating visceral leishmaniasis by 2010.