Bringing innovation to intestinal worm treatment
An international partnership to implement a new two-in-one medicine for helminthiasis
A culmination of 5+ years of research
The story behind our treatment for intestinal worms
The STOP2030 research project marks the final steps in our journey to create an alternative, more effective treatment for soil-transmitted helminthiasis caused by parasitic intestinal worms. WHO estimates 1.5 billion people are infected, gathered in areas of poor sanitation, where worm eggs are excreted in faeces and ingested by another person.
In the last few years, our novel formulation to treat soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections has been evaluated in clinical trials in three countries (STOP I AND II), and has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The ALIVE trial, an adaptive phase II/III RCT aimed at assessing the safety and efficacy of the fixed-dose combination, was successfully completed. Upon it, STOP2030 aims to complete the clinical evaluation of our coformulation and assess its safety in large populations, its feasibility and acceptability, in order to prepare for its future implementation.
An innovative dual approach
Lowering costs, increasing effectiveness, targeting five intestinal worm species
The approach consists in a new treatment combining two existing, licensed drugs that are currently in use for intestinal worm treatment. These compounds, separately, are limited by each treating different types of intestinal worms and risk generating drug resistance. The combination of these two compounds together into one pill provides an innovative therapy effective against all five species and reduces the risk of worms developing resistance. The co-formulation aims to be safe, accessible and affordable to facilitate its implementation in mass drug administration campaigns.
Translating research into action
A global effort towards implementation
To effectively tackle the problem caused by intestinal worms, it is essential to co-create solutions with countries affected by the disease. Public-private partnerships have proven their effectiveness in achieving progress. Therefore our team is composed of partners from Kenya and Ghana research and public health sectors, as well as international public health organizations and a private sector pharmaceutical group. The collaboration between continents and areas of expertise helps identify and overcome challenges that may limit implementation, accelerating the future treatment’s availability for all those who need it.
