Alternatives to Praziquantel for the Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis

Abstract

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease provoked by infection with parasitic blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, affects almost 240 million people worldwide, and more than 700 million people live in endemic areas. However, 40 years after the approval of praziquantel as an anthelmintic drug, the pipeline is nearly empty, and no other therapeutic alternative has reached the market. In its roadmap to "eliminate Schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030", the World Health Organization calls for the development of new therapeutic interventions. A viewpoint on the learnings from praziquantel research as well as shaping the next generation of drugs is shared.