Repurposing isoxazoline veterinary drugs for control of vector-borne human diseases

Significance Reduction in clinical cases of vector-borne diseases is strongly dependent on the ability to reduce the number of infectious insect bites. Here we describe a treatment concept based on single-dose administration of an insecticidal isoxazoline drug to a human population, which leads to killing of blood-fed insect vectors and a predicted sharp decline in disease transmission. Based on the long half-life observed in preclinical species, a single human dose of <500 mg is predicted to provide plasma exposure above the insecticidal threshold for longer than 2 months. Importantly, we show that isoxazolines are active against a range of vector species, which holds promise for expanding the concept of drug-based vector control from malaria to leishmaniasis and arboviral diseases.