Core Insights - 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has revealed that the actual burden of babesiosis in the U.S. may be significantly higher than CDC statistics indicate, with nearly 3 million Americans potentially diagnosed with the disease [1][2][9] - The survey conducted by the company suggests that babesiosis is underdiagnosed or underreported, indicating a greater demand for effective treatment than current CDC statistics suggest [2][5] - The company is developing treatment candidates for babesiosis and aims to define the commercial market size for these treatments [5][12] Survey Findings - The survey included 6,000 participants and found that 1.26% of respondents reported a diagnosis of babesiosis, equating to approximately 3 million Americans [6][9] - About 17% of those diagnosed with babesiosis reported experiencing illness for six months or more, suggesting at least 570,000 adults may have chronic disease [6][9] - Approximately 3.7% of respondents reported experiencing chronic fatigue lasting longer than six months, which may be related to babesiosis [7][9] Medical Implications - Babesiosis is a serious tick-borne disease that can co-occur with Lyme disease and may be life-threatening for immunocompromised and elderly individuals [3][10] - There is a hypothesis that persistent Babesia infection may contribute to chronic fatigue, potentially affecting millions of Americans who are undiagnosed [4][8] - The company is conducting clinical trials to test the efficacy of ARAKODA (tafenoquine) in treating babesiosis, although it is currently only approved for malaria prophylaxis [12][13] Company Background - 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2010 and specializes in developing new medicines for infectious diseases [14] - The company achieved FDA approval for its lead product, ARAKODA, in 2018 for malaria prevention and collaborates with research organizations in multiple countries [14]
Babesiosis Disease Burden in United States is Substantially Higher Than Official Estimates, According to Preliminary Results of 60 Degrees Pharma Survey