Treatment for Acute Sleeping Sickness has been Brutal — Until Now

The treatment for acute sleeping sickness, historically brutal, has seen a breakthrough with the oral medication fexinidazole, previously successful in treating chronic sleeping sickness. Symptoms include fever, aches, disrupted sleep, aggressiveness, and psychosis. Prior therapies involved invasive procedures and toxic injections, with up to a 10% fatality rate. The European Medicines Agency's positive opinion is based on a clinical trial showing a 10-day fexinidazole course cured 97% of acute sleeping sickness cases. Challenges remain, including surveillance, diagnosis, and potential outbreaks, emphasizing the ongoing need for effective treatments. Fexinidazole's safety offers hope for broader treatment acceptance, although the fight against sleeping sickness continues, especially in remote areas.