Integrating Ecotoxicity into Early-Stage Drug Development for Parasitic Diseases: A One Health Position Paper

Le résumé fourni par la source

Vector-borne parasitic diseases (VBDs), including leishmaniasis, trypanosomiases, schistosomiasis and babesiosis, pose an escalating threat to human and animal health across Europe and globally. Approximately 75% of emerging human infections originate from animals, and VBDs account for roughly 17% of the global infectious disease burden, causing an estimated 700,000 deaths annually. Climate change, urbanization, expanding travel and trade are accelerating the geographical spread of vectors and disease reservoirs, with Europe, particularly its Mediterranean and southern regions, facing growing exposure. Despite this burden, the therapeutic arsenal against human and animal parasitic infections remains critically limited. Available drugs are few, frequently toxic, and increasingly compromised by resistance. Human and veterinary drug discovery pipelines continue to operate largely in isolation from one another and from environmental science. Pharmaceutical residues and manufacturing emissions contaminate water, soil and biota, contributing to ecosystem degradation and the broader crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Yet current R&D frameworks rarely incorporate environmental risk assessment from the outset, and no comprehensive cross-sectoral guidance exists to ensure that antiparasitic drugs are discovered, developed and used in line with One Health principles. The OneHealthdrugs COST Action (CA21111) was established to address these interconnected challenges. By building a coordinated, pan-European One Health platform, the Action brings together human and veterinary drug discoverers, environmental scientists, and key stakeholders from industry and regulatory agencies to develop the next generation of antiparasitic drugs, combining therapeutic efficacy with a substantially reduced environmental footprint. By collaborating with the ENVIRANT COST Action, we have established a shared connection and a common vision for the future reflected in this position paper. This position paper presents ASPECT, Antiparasitics through Sustainable Predictive Ecotoxicology, Chemistry and Translation, as a concrete, actionable response: a structured approach to embedding sustainability, environmental responsibility and regulatory coherence into antiparasitic drug discovery from the earliest stages of R&D. It is directed at EU policymakers, regulatory authorities, human and animal health representers and research funding bodies with a mandate to advance One Health policies and sustainable pharmaceutical innovation.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.