(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0213624 A1 Pollmeier Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
US 20140213624A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0213624 A1 Pollmeier et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 31, 2014 (54) METHOD FOR TREATING AND CURING Publication Classification LESHMANIOSIS USING FEXINIDAZOLE (51) Int. Cl. (71) Applicant: Merial Limited, Duluth, GA (US) A613 L/4164 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. (72) Inventors: Matthias Pollmeier, Francheville (FR): CPC .................................. A61K 31/4164 (2013.01) Jeffrey Lynn Blair, Lyon (FR) USPC .......................................................... S14/398 (73) Assignee: Merial Limited, Duluth, GA (US) (21) Appl. No.: 14/169,713 (57) ABSTRACT (22) Filed: Jan. 31, 2014 Related U.S. Application Data The present invention encompasses methods of using fex (60) Provisional application No. 61/758,918, filed on Jan. inidazole to treat and eliminate and/or cure L. infantum infec 31, 2013. tions in canines. US 2014/0213624 A1 Jul. 31, 2014 METHOD FOR TREATING AND CURING Articular involvement is also fairly common and may present LESHMANIOSIS USING FEXINIDAZOLE as lameness with Swollen joints or simply as a stiff gait. Less common findings include ocular lesions (<5%), chronic diar INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE rhea (30%) and long, deformed brittle nails (20%) referred to 0001. This application claims priority to provisional appli as onychogryphosis (Lindsay DS et al., Slappendel RJet al.). cation U.S. Ser. No. 61/758,918, filed on Jan. 31, 2013, which 0005. Currently there are three drugs specifically is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. All docu approved for the treatment of canine leishmaniosis in Europe: ments cited or referenced herein (“herein cited documents”), N-methyl-glucamine (meglumine) antimoniate (GLUCAN and all documents cited or referenced in herein cited docu TIMER), Merial), miltefosine (MILTEFORANR, Virbac), ments, together with any manufacturers instructions, and domperidone (LEISHGUARDR, Esteve, Spain). The descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for most commonly recommended treatment protocols for dogs any products mentioned herein or in any document incorpo with clinical leishmaniosis by European Veterinary groups rated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by are meglumine antimoniate or miltefosine in combination reference, and may be employed in the practice of the inven with allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor with anti-leish tion. mania properties (Oliva G et al., Solano-Gallego L et al.). Domperidone is an antidopaminergic compound that has FIELD OF THE INVENTION been demonstrated to enhance the cell mediated immune response to leishmania infection in dogs. Even in combina 0002 The present invention relates to formulations for tion with allopurinol, both meglumine antimoniate and milte combating Leishmania infections in animals. Specifically, the fosine do not result in a parasitologic cure 100% of the time, present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions of and relapse of disease is common (Mana Let al., Mateo M. et fexinidazole and methods of treating, controlling, and com al., Solano-Gallego L et al., Oliva G et al.) Domperidone is pletely eradicating or curing leishmaniosis. indicated for the prevention or treatment of mild to moderate cases of canine leishmaniosis and its use in combination BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION therapies is under investigation (Solano-Gallego L et al.). In 0003 Leishmania is a genus of Trypanosomatid protozoa, addition to the inability to produce a parasitologic cure, all of and is the parasite responsible for the disease leishmaniosis the recommended treatment protocols are associated with which is a major and severe parasitic disease that affects significant side effects: meglumine antimoniate is associated humans, canines, and to a lesser degree, felines. Leishmania with nephrotoxicity and cellulitis at the injection site, milte species are spread through Sandflies of the genus Phleboto fosine is associated with Vomiting and diarrhea, and allopu mus in the Old World and of the genus Lutzomyia in the New rinol can induce Xanthine urolithiasis (Solano-Gallego L et World. In humans, there are several forms of the disease al.). named by their clinical presentation including cutaneous, 0006 Mass detection of seropositive dogs followed by mucocutaneous or visceral leishmaniosis caused by a variety culling and/or drug treatment or the mass application of del of species of Leishmania. The predominant cause of canine tamethrin-impregnated collars were shown to have an impact leishmaniosis is L. infantum (sometimes referred to as L. in reducing human and canine leishmaniosis prevalence in chagasi in New World) which causes both visceral and cuta endemic areas of Southern Europe, Africa, and Asia (Maroli neous forms in dogs and the clinical distinction of the form of et al., 2001; Mazloumi Gavgani A. S. et al., 2002), although disease is less important. L. infantum is a cause for all forms the efficacy of eliminating Seropositive canines has been of disease in humans and dogs serve as the primary reservoir debated(Dietze Ret al., 1997: Moreira Jr. et al., 2004). These for human infections caused by this species (Baneth Get al). control measures are either considered unacceptable, expen L. infantum is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical sive or not effective (Gradoni L. et al., 2005). Encouragingly, countries of Southern Europe, Africa, Asia, South America Susan Wyllie (SciTransl. Med 4, 119, 2012) recently reported and Central America, and the incidence of L. infantum is fexinidazole was able to Suppress infection due to L. donovani expanding geographically (Dantas-Torres F et al., 2012, infection (leishmania species affecting humans). However, it Baneth Get al., Peterson CA et a? 0.2009, Ready PD et al., is not known whether the drug will work against the predomi Miro Get al. 2010). nantly canine leishmania Strain, L. infantum, nor is it known 0004 Canine leishmaniosis is a slowly progressive dis whether complete elimination (also referred to herein as “cur ease that can take years to become clinically apparent (McCo ing') of canine leishmaniosis infection is possible. "Elimina nkey S E et al., 2002). Signs are frequently non-specific and tion” or “curing is deemed to be “substantially complete” if diagnosis in non-endemic regions is often overlooked. Some the leishmaniosis clinical symptoms do not return after drug dogs appear naturally resistant to this parasite and can act as treatment (post-drug treatment re-exposure to the parasites asymptomatic reservoir hosts (Grosjean NL et al., 2003). notwithstanding). Moreover, the mouse model does not faith Approximately 10% of dogs residing in endemic areas actu fully recapitulate canine Leishmania infection. For example, ally develop clinical disease (Lindsay D S et al., 2002). Some mice show no clinical signs and do not die from parasite, of the more frequently reported clinical signs of leishmani whereas dogs do. Thus, a skilled person cannot, with any osis include skin lesions, listlessness, fatigue and exercise certainty, expect that a treatment method capable of reducing intolerance coupled with anorexia and weight loss that even the number of L. donovani parasites in mice, will also prevent tually culminate as wasting disease with chronic renal failure clinical signs and death—caused by L. infantum—in a dog. as the main cause of mortality (McConkey S E et al.; Solano Adding to the uncertainty is that Leishmania parasites are Gallego Letal). These signs may or may not be accompanied notoriously resistant to drug treatment, and many drugs use by fever, local or generalized lymphadenopathy, and ful in combating other diseases (including diseases caused by hepatosplenomegaly (Grosjean NL et al., 2003; Lindsay DS related protozoans) are not efficacious against Leishmania. et al., McConkey S E et al.; Martinez-Subiela Set al., 2002). For example, Leishmania parasites are well-known to reduce US 2014/0213624 A1 Jul. 31, 2014 drug concentration by both decreasing drug uptake and by SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION increasing drug efflux/sequestration (Haldar, 2011). Finally, anti-leishmaniosis drugs are extremely toxic, and thus poorly 0027. The present invention demonstrated for the first time tolerated by humans and non-human animals alike. that fexinidazole treatment can Substantially or completely 0007 Thus, there remains a need for effective and efficient eliminate or cure L. infantum infection in canines. No relapse methods of eradicating or curing leishmania infections. was observed 180 days after treatment initiation. Methods of the invention include methods for treating animals with fex REFERENCES inidazole to eliminate or cure, Substantially or completely, infections caused by Leishmania parasites. As used herein, 0008 Baneth, Get al. “Canine leishmaniosis—new con the terms "eliminate” and "eradicate' should be considered to cepts and insights on an expanding Zoonosis: part one.” have synonymous meanings. Trends in Parasitology Vol. 24, No. 7, pgs 324-30. 0028 Veterinary compositions of the invention may be in 0009 Dantas-Torres, Fetal. “Canine leishmaniosis in the the form of soft chewable formulations that are palatable for Old and New Worlds: unveiled similarities and differences. animals, or any other Suitable dosage form. For example, the Trends in Parasitology December 2012, Vol. 28, No. 12, formulation may be a tablet, a paste, a feed premix, a powder, pgs 531-38. oragel. In other embodiments, the compositions of the inven 0010 Gradoni L. et al., 2005,