U.S. university study spurs new WHO guidelines for disabling tropical disease

CHICAGO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Based on the studies led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new treatment guidelines aimed at accelerating global elimination of lymphatic filariasis, a devastating tropical disease.

The new WHO guidelines, announced in November, recommend a three-drug treatment regimen rather than the standard two-drug combination based on the results of the studies that adding ivermectin to the standard combination of diethylcarbamazine and albendazole is more effective than the two-drug regimen and just as safe, according to a report published on the website of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on Monday.

Researchers have evaluated the safety and efficacy of the triple-drug treatment with studies of more than 23,000 people in India, Haiti, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the report said.

"This new treatment has the potential to significantly shorten the time required to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in many countries around the world," said Gary Weil, a professor of medicine and of molecular microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis.

The improved effectiveness of the new treatment is projected to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in most endemic areas within three years if enough people participate by taking the medications, which are provided for free. The WHO recommends that the triple-drug combination be distributed annually in areas where the standard two-drug regimen has not been effective or has not yet begun.

In support of WHO's new treatment recommendation, Merck & Co. recently announced that it would expand its donation program of Mectizan, Merck's brand of ivermectin, making the drug available to an additional 100 million people annually. according to the report.

An estimated 70 million people worldwide are infected with lymphatic filariasis, a parasitic disease spread by mosquitoes. The disease can cause massive swelling of lymph glands in the legs and lower body, resulting in long-term disability and social stigma. Enditem