In September 2022, the Drug Discovery Unit at the University
of
Dundee, UK, organised an international meeting at the Wellcome Collection
in London to explore the current clinical situation and challenges
associated with treating schistosomiasis. The aim of this meeting
was to discuss the need for new treatments in view of the clinical
situation and to ascertain what the key requirements would be for
any potential new anti-schistosomals. This information will
be essential to inform ongoing drug discovery efforts for schistosomiasis.
We also discussed the potential drug discovery pathway and associated
criteria for progressing compounds to the clinic. To date, praziquantel
(PZQ) is the only drug available to treat all species causing schistosomiasis,
but it is often unable to completely clear parasites from an infected
patient, partially due to its inactivity against juvenile worms. PZQ-mediated
mass drug administration campaigns conducted in endemic areas (e.g.,
sub-Saharan Africa, where schistosomiasis is primarily prevalent)
have contributed to reducing the burden of disease but will not eliminate
the disease as a public health problem. The potential forSchistosomato develop resistance towards PZQ, as the sole
treatment available, could become a concern. Consequently, new anthelmintic
medications are urgently needed, and this Perspective aims to capture
some of the learnings from our discussions on the key criteria for
new treatments.