60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals Signs Clinical Trial Agreements With All Planned Trial Sites for Tafenoquine Babesiosis Study
- The Tafenoquine for Babesiosis clinical trial will be conducted at three sites: Yale University, Rhode Island Hospital and Tufts Medical Center
- Patient enrollment has begun; interim results anticipated by September, 2025
- In the Northeast U.S., the incidence of babesiosis has been increasing; babesiosis is an emerging, tick-borne, potentially life-threatening illness
- Case studies in recent medical literature suggest that tafenoquine combined with standard-of-care treatment exhibits a high cure rate in immunosuppressed patients who have relapsing babesiosis and for whom prior treatment has failed
- Total cumulative accessible market through the end of patent protection in the U.S. for ARAKODA® (tafenoquine) for babesiosis is approximately 400,000 patients
WASHINGTON, July 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SXTP, SXTPW))) (the "Company"), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new medicines for infectious diseases, announced today it has signed clinical trial agreements with all three of the planned clinical trial sites for the Tafenoquine for Babesiosis study now enrolling. Tufts Medical Center, Yale University, and Rhode Island Hospital will conduct the world's first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tafenoquine in treating human babesiosis patients.
At least 24, and potentially up to 33, hospitalized patients diagnosed with relapsing babesiosis will be recruited for the study, with interim results anticipated by September, 2025.
"Babesiosis is becoming a top concern within the infectious diseases healthcare community given the fact that accurate diagnosis and treatment are crucial to preventing progression to very serious phases of this illness," said Dr. Geoff Dow, chief executive officer of 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals. "Today, a patient who reaches the relapsing stage of babesiosis has few effective treatment options. The Tafenoquine for Babesiosis clinical trial currently enrolling patients is anticipated to shed new light on how best to address the babesiosis treatment needs of this group. The team at 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals is pleased to partner with Tufts Medical Center, Yale University, and Rhode Island Hospital – three of the world's leading medical centers – in this effort."
A recently published study suggested that tafenoquine combined with standard-of-care treatment exhibits a high cure rate in immunosuppressed patients who have relapsing babesiosis and for whom prior treatment has failed.
Babesiosis is a steadily emerging, infectious disease transmitted by a microscopic parasite, Babesia, through the bite of the black-legged (deer) tick, the vector that spreads Lyme disease. Babesiosis may be life-threatening in elderly and immunosuppressed patients. Cases of babesiosis are rising in the Northeast U.S.
The total cumulative accessible market through the end of U.S. patent protection in December 2035, for ARAKODA® (tafenoquine) for babesiosis is approximately 400,000 patients.
Tafenoquine is approved for malaria prophylaxis in the United States under the product name ARAKODA®. The safety of the approved regimen of tafenoquine for malaria prophylaxis has been assessed in five separate randomized, double-blind, active comparator or placebo-controlled trials for durations of up to six months. Tafenoquine has not been proven to be effective for treatment or prevention of babesiosis and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for such an indication.
About the Study of Tafenoquine for Patients Hospitalized with Babesiosis
The study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that will compare the safety and efficacy of tafenoquine versus placebo in patients hospitalized for babesiosis and administered standard of care medications. The two main study endpoints will be the time to sustained clinical resolution of symptoms and the time to molecular cure as determined by an FDA-approved nucleic acid test (NAT). At least 24, and as many as 33 patients, will be recruited before an interim analysis is conducted. Sufficient enrollment capacity is planned to allow all study subjects to be recruited before the end of the 2025 tick season (traditionally, from June to September). The interim analysis will include both a test of significance, as well as size re-estimation to allow additional recruitment if required. The efficacy and safety of 8-aminoquinolines, a class of drugs that includes tafenoquine and primaquine, for prevention and treatment of malaria is well documented. Several case reports of tafenoquine use for babesiosis indicate that the drug is already being used for this purpose in the practice of medicine in the U.S.
About ARAKODA® (tafenoquine)
Tafenoquine was discovered by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Tafenoquine was approved for malaria prophylaxis in 2018 in the United States as ARAKODA® and in Australia as KODATEF®. Both were commercially launched in 2019 and are currently distributed through pharmaceutical wholesaler networks in each respective country. They are available at retail pharmacies as a prescription-only malaria prevention drug. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the long terminal half-life of tafenoquine, which is approximately 16 days, may offer potential advantages in less- frequent dosing for prophylaxis for malaria. ARAKODA is not suitable for everyone, and patients and prescribers should review the Important Safety Information below. Individuals at risk of contracting malaria are prescribed ARAKODA 2 x 100 mg tablets once per day for three days (the loading phase) prior to travel to an area of the world where malaria is endemic, 2 x 100 mg tablets weekly for up to six months during travel, then 2 x 100 mg in the week following travel.
ARAKODA® (tafenoquine) Important Safety Information
ARAKODA® is an antimalarial indicated for the prophylaxis of malaria in patients aged 18 years of age and older.
Contraindications
ARAKODA® should not be administered to:
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase ("G6PD") deficiency or unknown G6PD status;
- Breastfeeding by a lactating woman when the infant is found to be G6PD deficient or if
- G6PD status is unknown;
- Patients with a history of psychotic disorders or current psychotic symptoms; or
- Known hypersensitivity reactions to tafenoquine, other 8-aminoquinolines, or any component of ARAKODA®.
Warnings and Precautions
Hemolytic Anemia: G6PD testing must be performed before prescribing ARAKODA® due to the risk of hemolytic anemia. Monitor patients for signs or symptoms of hemolysis.
G6PD Deficiency in Pregnancy or Lactation: ARAKODA® may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman with a G6PD-deficient fetus. ARAKODA® is not recommended during pregnancy. A G6PD-deficient infant may be at risk for hemolytic anemia from exposure to ARAKODA® through breast milk. Check infant's G6PD status before breastfeeding begins.
Methemoglobinemia: Asymptomatic elevations in blood methemoglobin have been observed. Initiate appropriate therapy if signs or symptoms of methemoglobinemia occur.
Psychiatric Effects: Serious psychotic adverse reactions have been observed in patients with a history of psychosis or schizophrenia, at doses different from the approved dose. If psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, or grossly disorganized thinking or behavior) occur, consider discontinuation of ARAKODA® therapy and evaluation by a mental health professional as soon as possible.
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Serious hypersensitivity reactions have been observed with administration of ARAKODA®. If hypersensitivity reactions occur, institute appropriate therapy.
Delayed Adverse Reactions: Due to the long half-life of ARAKODA® (approximately 17 days), psychiatric effects, hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, and hypersensitivity reactions may be delayed in onset and/or duration.
Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 1 percent) were: headache, dizziness, back pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), motion sickness, insomnia, depression, abnormal dreams, and anxiety.
Drug Interactions
Avoid co-administration with drugs that are substrates of organic cation transporter-2 (OCT2) or multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) transporters.
Use in Specific Populations
Lactation: Advise women not to breastfeed a G6PD-deficient infant or infant with unknown G6PD status during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of ARAKODA®.
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1- 888-834-0225 or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. The full prescribing information of ARAKODA® is located here.
About 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc., founded in 2010, specializes in developing and marketing new medicines for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that affect the lives of millions of people. 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. achieved FDA approval of its lead product, ARAKODA® (tafenoquine), for malaria prevention, in 2018. 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. also collaborates with prominent research organizations in the U.S., Australia, and Singapore. The 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. mission has been supported through in-kind funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and private institutional investors including Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Canadian-based pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company. 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is headquartered in Washington D.C., with a majority-owned subsidiary in Australia. Learn more at www.60degreespharma.com.
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