Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - December 6, 2004
The Canada-based biotech company said the German Food and Drug Agency has approved miltefosine, or Impavido, which has a cure rate of 95-percent for leishmaniasis, the scientific name for black fever.
The German government agency also awarded the company a Free Sales Certificate, which paves the way for registration in countries such as Colombia and Pakistan where the parasitic disease is endemic.
Visceral leishmaniasis, a sand-fly borne infection, include fever and spleen and liver enlargement. It is potentially fatal if left untreated. The cutaneous form of leishmaniasis is not deadly, but is severely disfiguring.
According to the World Heath Organization, leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries in the world with nearly 350 million people at risk.
The infection is a growing problem in Europe, particularly with patients infected with HIV or AIDS, who are at an increased risk, AEterna said.
Impavido, which is taken orally, has been marketed in India since 2003.
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