Overview

• A study by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine shows that nitisinone kills mosquitoes within 12 hours by disrupting their digestion after they ingest medicated human blood.
• Nitisinone outperforms ivermectin with faster action, longer persistence in the bloodstream, and reduced harm to beneficial insects and the environment.
• The drug is effective against older mosquitoes, which are more likely to carry malaria, and those resistant to traditional insecticides.
• Researchers are now determining optimal dosages and planning semi-field trials to evaluate its real-world application in malaria control programs.
• This innovative approach could complement existing methods and address challenges like ivermectin resistance, while potentially lowering costs for patients using nitisinone for metabolic disorders.