Sleeping Sickness Breakthrough: Acoziborole Cure in DR Congo
A Congolese woman's recovery in Kwilu Province shows the promise of acoziborole, a single-dose oral treatment now approved to fight sleeping sickness.
Founder & Chief Editor · 12 June 2026 · 2 min read
MASI-MANIMBA, DR Congo - In 2017, Passy, a resident of Kwilu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fell seriously ill with sleeping sickness, a neglected tropical disease transmitted by the tsetse fly. The illness caused severe pain and left her unable to work, placing her family's livelihood at risk.
Recognising the severity of her condition, Passy's brother took her to Masi-Manimba Hospital. There she enrolled in a clinical trial evaluating a new experimental medicine called acoziborole.
The trial was led by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), in partnership with health authorities and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi. It assessed a single-dose oral treatment for both early- and advanced-stage sleeping sickness.
A trial that carried the hopes of remote communities
Passy's participation reflected the hopes of many patients in remote communities, where access to lengthy and complex treatments has often been limited.
Researchers later reported that the clinical trials demonstrated high cure rates. They also showed that acoziborole could simplify treatment by removing the need for prolonged hospitalisation in many cases.
For patients living far from major health centres, that simplicity matters. Older approaches to sleeping sickness could require extended hospital stays and difficult drug regimens, obstacles that a single-dose oral treatment is designed to overcome.
A milestone against a deadly disease
The success of these studies marked a major milestone in the fight against sleeping sickness. In 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo approved acoziborole as a single-dose oral treatment.
The medicine is being made available free of charge to eligible patients through international partnerships. Health experts believe it could accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease across Africa.
For patients like Passy, whose recovery began through participation in the clinical trial, the breakthrough represents more than a medical achievement. It offers renewed hope for healthier lives and stronger communities in regions long affected by sleeping sickness.
Founder & Chief Editor
Founder and Chief Editor of Osmara Digital Media. Journalist and historian telling Africa's stories through an African lens, from West Nile to the continent.
