Pill shows promise in eradication of scabies

Researchers are making progress in developing a pill to eliminate scabies, which is endemic in some remote Aboriginal communities.

Researchers are making progress in developing a single tablet to eliminate scabies, which is endemic in some remote Aboriginal communities and affects 200 million sufferers worldwide.

The drug, moxidectin, is being trialled in the Northern Territory by a team from the Menzies School of Health Research, the country’s leading research institute for tropical disease and indigenous health.

It could prove life-changing for adults and children suffering skin infections caused by the microscopic mite. Scabies can result in harmful bacteria infecting skin sores, in turn leading to long-term complications such as rheumatic heart disease or kidney problems.

Up to 60 per cent of children and 25 per cent of adults can be infected in some communities.

Trial leader Dev Tilakaratne said overcrowded houses and hot climates could trigger outbreaks of the highly contagious and itchy condition, which could be hard to treat with ointments.

“There’s a lot of stigma associated with scabies in adults, as well as health dangers to children whose sores get infected,” he said.

The drug trial began in Darwin this week.

Medicines Development for Global Health, a not-for-profit pharmaceutical company, is funding this first step in solving the persistent skin complaint described as “high on medical need”.

Founding managing director Mark Sullivan called scabies a disease of poverty and disadvantage: “It’s hard to get rid of with current creams and treatments, and it can infect and reinfect people … It’s shameful we should have this disease in our communities.”

A long-term goal is to eradicate scabies but Mr Sullivan said a successful drug regimen could also bring relief to millions of sufferers around the world.