New sleeping sickness pill gets nod, paving the way for use in Africa

European drug regulators on Friday endorsed a new and simpler treatment for sleeping sickness, in what could be a giant boost to efforts to eliminate the disease. A European Medicines Agency committee gave its nod to acoziborole, developed by Sanofi and DNDi. Speaking to France 24, Dr Luis Pizarro, executive director of DNDi, said the new pill could revolutionise treatment of the disease, which has killed hundreds of thousands across Africa.

27 Feb, 13:52 — 27 Feb, 14:44

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Why this matters

Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, often fatal if untreated. Current treatments can be complex, invasive, and have severe side effects, making a simpler, oral pill a significant advancement for public health. This development offers a more accessible and manageable solution, crucial for disease elimination efforts in affected regions.

Key entitiesEuropean Medicines Agency committee Africa

The Story

What 3 sources agree on, dispute, and miss

What sources agree on

A new sleeping sickness pill has received endorsement from European drug regulators.
The approval of the pill paves the way for its use in Africa.
The new treatment for sleeping sickness is simpler than previous options.

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

✓

European drug regulators endorsed a new treatment for sleeping sickness.

agreed·France 24APYahoo

The new sleeping sickness treatment is simpler.

unverified·France 24

The approval could be a giant boost to efforts to eliminate sleeping sickness.

unverified·France 24

✓

The pill's approval paves the way for its use in Africa.

agreed·APYahooFrance 24

Where they diverge

The potential impact and scope of the new pill's approval.

APYahoo

These outlets frame the approval as a practical step, 'paving the way for use in Africa'.

France 24

This outlet frames the approval with a more ambitious and optimistic outlook, asking 'Can new pills end sleeping sickness?' and describing it as a 'giant boost to efforts to eliminate the disease'.