The 60° Pharmaceuticals (60P) Malaria Prevention Program

According to the World Health Organization’s latest World Malaria Report, there were an estimated 405,000 malaria deaths and 228 million new clinical episodes in 2018.¹

Goal of malaria elimination unattainable with current tools

Though therapies exist, the treatment of this potentially fatal disease depends on many factors. These considerations—including increasing numbers of drug-resistant parasites—cause treatment drugs to meet with limited success. Most vaccines are only partially effective, making the goal of elimination unobtainable with current tools.

A grave threat to those deployed in malaria-endemic countries:

125 million travelers: US > $250 million market

An estimated 125 million travelers journey through malaria-endemic regions annually. Of those travelers who visit these areas each year, approximately 30,000 become infected with malaria.² Travelers who are 35 years old or younger, travelers to Africa, those traveling longer than one month, and those who do not follow the prophylactic protocol are at greatest risk for contracting malaria.^3,4

New drugs for malaria prevention have long been needed

Of the several marketed antimalarials available prior to 2019:

• NONE prevent malaria in all endemic regions for multiple types of malaria
• NONE have utility against both the disease-causing and latent forms of the parasite

60P: Uniquely positioned to compete in the antimalarial medicine market

• 60P has developed an 8-aminoquinoline (60P-003) for the prevention of malaria in individuals traveling to endemic areas. 60P-003 was branded Arakoda (tafenoquine) tablets for oral use and launched into the US Healthcare market in 2019.
• 60P continues to secure research and licensing agreements with the US Army
• US Army-supported US$18+ million development program, plus in-kind Army financing
• Arakoda^®(tafenoquine) tablets launched in 2019

The 60P Dengue Fever Treatment Program

The frequency of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. In fact, the global reach of dengue has more than quadrupled since the 1990s. A recent estimate indicates there are 390 million dengue infections per year.⁵ In the Americas alone, an estimated 500,000 people with severe dengue require hospitalization each year, with about 2.5% cases leading to death.⁶ This global economic burden is estimated to be nearly US $40 billion.⁷

Grim statistics point to an urgent need

With no current effective therapeutic products against dengue, new treatment and prevention medicine is needed. This additional data provides a larger overview:

• 2.5 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, are under the risk of dengue transmission
• 400 million people infected annually with around 25% being symptomatic
• Dengue is endemic in at least 100 countries in Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean
• Affected regions have continued to expand due to global warming and globalization

60P: Uniquely positioned to compete in the dengue market

• 60P is developing an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (60P001) and a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist (60P002) for treatment of dengue fever
• A Phase IB study has been completed on 60P001 by Duke-NUS Medical School and Singapore General Hospital
• 60P is exploring execution of a proof of concept Phase II study for this indication in 2022.
• Both products fulfill the USFDA Priority Review Voucher (PRV) criteria

Click here to see all products in our pipeline.

References: 1. World Health Organization. Fact sheet: world malaria report 2019. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2019. 2. World Health Organization. Malaria. In: International travel and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2012: 144-167. 3. Provost S, Gagnon S, Lonergan G, Bui YG, Labbé AC. Hepatitis A, typhoid and malaria among travelers–surveillance data from Québec (Canada). J Travel Med. 2006;13(4):219-226. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8305.2006.00031.x 4. Behrens RH, Curtis CF. Malaria in travellers: epidemiology and prevention. Br Med Bull. 1993;49(2):363-381. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a072615. 5. Bhatt S, Gething PW, Brady OJ, et al. The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature. 2013;496(7446):504-507. doi:10.1038/nature12060 6. World Health Organization. Fact sheet: Dengue and severe dengue. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; June 23, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. 7. Selck FW, Adalja AA, Boddie CR. An estimate of the global health care and lost productivity costs of dengue. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2014;11:824-826. Available at: http://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2013.1528/