Tuberculosis drug targets disease that is deadly in the developing world

A drug that has already been approved for treatment of tuberculosis could also combat a disease in the developing world that causes almost 50,000 deaths annually, researchers at the University of Dundee (Dundee) have found

Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease which casuses 48,000 deaths annually in the developing world with the majority of cases seen in six countries - Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, South Sudan and Sudan, according to Dundee.

There are no vaccines available and current drug treatments all have the possibility of serious side effects such as prolonged administration, high cost, drug resistance, toxicity and potential for foetal malformations.

Researchers in the School of Life Sciences at Dundee have discovered that a drug called delamanid, which was recently approved for the treatment of tuberculosis, can cure a mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis at oral doses that may be achievable in patients.

Alan Fairlamb, who led the research project, said: “There is an urgent requirement for safe, oral and cost-effective drugs for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.

“What we have found is that delamanid has the potential to be repurposed as a much-needed oral therapy for VL. The opportunity to use an existing approved drug for a new indication is an exciting and cost-effective way to treat this neglected disease of poverty.”

The research has been carried out at Dundee by Fairlamb’s research group, working with the team of Dr Kevin Read in the University’s Drug Discovery Unit (DDU).

The DDU is the only fully operational, fully integrated drug discovery group working across multiple diseases based within a UK university, and tackles unmet medical need through small molecule drug discovery, bridging the gap between academic scientific research and commercial drug discovery and development, according to Dundee.

Fairlamb said that delamanid was seen to be active against the parasites which cause visceral leishmaniasis. It is thought to kill the parasites through conversion by an unknown enzyme to form toxic products.

“The next steps now are to identify the primary target of delamanid and look at suitable drug combinations to improve efficacy and safety, as well as slowing the emergence of resistance,” said Fairlamb.

“We are already entering discussions with downstream partners to initiate Phase II clinical trials.”

Results of the Dundee team’s research have been published in the journal eLife.