Bayer HealthCare has agreed to provide the ingredient emodepside to support Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in its effort to develop a new oral drug to treat river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis.

Originating from Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas and developed by Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health division for veterinary use, the active compound emodepside was found to be effective in killing adult worms in pre-clinical studies.

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It serves as a new macrofilaricidal drug for the treatment of patients with river blindness, and Astellas granted Bayer the rights to develop emodepside.

“DNDi will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development of emodepside, while Bayer will look after pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, registration and supply of the drug.”

DNDi executive director Dr Bernard Pécoul said: “We need to build on the experience and progress of the past twenty years and give new impetus to research and development for new health tools to accelerate the elimination of river blindness in targeted countries of Africa.

“Through our collaboration with Bayer on the development of emodepside, we hope to bring a new, safe, short-course, field-adapted treatment to patients and offer a new public health approach for countries long affected by this disease.”

Bayer HealthCare board of management chairman Dr Olivier Brandicourt said: “We are looking forward to joining DNDi in its mission to develop better and adapted treatments for patients with neglected diseases.”

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Under terms of the agreement, DNDi will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development of emodepside, while Bayer will look after pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, registration and supply of the drug.

The compound, if successful in subsequent phases of drug development, is set to be offered at the lowest sustainable price to ensure affordability and access in 31 African disease-endemic countries.