60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals partners with Tulane to study lyme treatment

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SXTP; SXTPW) entered into a sponsored research agreement with Tulane University to evaluate the activity of tafenoquine against Borrelia and Bartonella bacteria in cell culture, the company announced.

The study will examine tafenoquine's effectiveness against these vector-borne pathogens, which along with Babesia are known as the "3Bs" in the Lyme disease community. Borrelia causes acute Lyme disease and may trigger post-treatment Lyme disease, while Bartonella can cause persistent illness with overlapping symptoms.

"The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of these rapidly spreading tick-borne diseases for which there is a growing unmet need for effective, approved treatments," said Chief Executive Officer Geoff Dow.

Tafenoquine is currently approved in the United States as ARAKODA for malaria prophylaxis. The drug was discovered by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and received FDA approval in 2018. It has a terminal half-life of approximately 16 days, allowing for less frequent dosing.

The company noted that tafenoquine has not been proven effective for treatment or prevention of babesiosis, Borrelia, or Bartonella infections and is not approved by the FDA for such indications. The drug is currently being studied in babesiosis trials at several sites.

The information is based on a press release statement from 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals.

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