%0 Journal Article
%T The long and winding road towards new treatments against lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.
%A Risch F
%A Kazakov A
%A Specht S
%A Pfarr K
%A Fischer PU
%A Hoerauf A
%A Hübner MP
%J Trends Parasitol
%V 40
%N 9
%D 2024 Sep 8
%M 39122645
%F 10.528
%R 10.1016/j.pt.2024.07.005
%X Although lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis have been targeted for global elimination, these helminth infections are still a major public health problem across the tropics and subtropics. Despite decades of research, treatment options remain limited and drugs that completely clear the infections, and can be used on a large scale, are still unavailable. In the present review we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of currently available treatments and new ones in development. Novel candidates (corallopyronin A, DNDi-6166, emodepside, and oxfendazole) are currently moving through (pre)clinical development, while the development of two candidates (AWZ1066S and ABBV-4083/flubentylosin) was recently halted. The preclinical R&D pipeline for filarial infections continues to be limited, and recent setbacks highlight the importance of continuous drug discovery and testing.