Opportunities and challenges in the development of antiparasitic drugs

Parasitic infections remain a major public health problem worldwide, affecting millions of people annually. Since parasitic infections are linked to poverty, marketing their drugs is less promising and unattractive to investors. Nevertheless, globally, concerted efforts to combat parasitic infections have increased in the last decades. Myriads of novel antiparasitic agents are being unravelled from the "stinkingly rich" nature. To reduce the financial implications and time demand of developing a new drug, alternative efforts of repurposing old drugs are becoming notable. Furthermore, the advancements in omics-based technologies have facilitated the discovery of new drug targets, bringing about novel antiparasitic agents. Hence, there is a need for continuous review of successes recorded in antiparasitic drug development to forestall wasting many brilliant efforts and discoveries. This chapter discusses some of the prospects and advancements in the development of antiparasitic drugs while also highlighting some of the ongoing difficulties encountered in creating effective antiparasitic medications.