Victor Kande Explained

Victor Kande Betu Kumeso
Nationality:Congolese
Workplaces:Ministry of Health
University of Kinshasa
Alma Mater:University of Kinshasa
Known For:Sleeping sickness research

Victor Kande Betu Kumeso is a Congolese physician who is an expert in African trypanosomiasis. He works at the Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine at the University of Kinshasa.

Early life and education

Kande studied medicine. At the age of 27, he was the only medical doctor for 11,000 people in Bandundu Province.[1]

Research

Kande is known as the father of sleeping sickness. He was made the Director of the Democratic Republic of the Congo sleeping sickness programme and works with the Ministry of Public Health.[2] African trypanosomiasis disproportionately impacts people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[3] The disease is caused by Trypanosoma brucei and usually presents in the chronic form.[4] He investigates the epidemiology of sleeping sickness.[5] He was one of the first to report of the resurgence of sleeping sickness, calling for more aid, inter-country collaboration and improved healthcare facilities and treatment options.[6]

Kande has been the principal investigator for several studies of new treatments for African trypanosomiasis.[7] He investigated the efficacy and safety of DB289, which is administered as a dication prodrug to Pentamidine. He also demonstrated a high failure rate with Melarsoprol and investigated the use of Pafuramidine.[8] In a country with few passable roads or hospitals, Kande and his colleagues recruited 400 people with late stage Trypanosoma brucei for a trial of Fexinidazole sponsored by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative.[9] [10] The study demonstrated that fexinidazole is an effective treatment for sleeping sickness.[11] The work was published in The Lancet and led to Kande being described by Richard Lehman (primary care physician) the 'true hero of medicine'.[12] Fexinidazole received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency under Article 58 in November 2018[13] and was registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2018.[14]

Kande is currently investigating SCYX-7158 (acoziborole) as a single-dose treatment for Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in a clinical trial sponsored by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative.[15] [16]

He looks for innovative partnerships between the private and public sector, such as the partnership that led to the delivery of fexinidazole by DNDi.[17] In 2018 Kande was awarded the Anne Maurer Cecchini award of the Geneva Health Forum.

Notes and References

  1. News: The big sleep: how the world's most troubled country is beating a deadly disease. Boseley. Sarah. 2018-11-16. The Guardian. 2018-11-19. Levene. David. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  2. Book: Control and Surveillance of Human African Trypanosomiasis: Report of a WHO Expert Committee. Trypanosomiasis. WHO Expert Committee on the Control and Surveillance of Human African. Organization. World Health. 2013. World Health Organization. 9789241209847. en.
  3. News: Human African trypanosomiasis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: disease distribution and risk - Dimensions. 2018-11-20. en.
  4. Courtin. David. Jamonneau. Vincent. Mathieu. Jean-Francois. Koffi. Mathurin. Milet. Jacqueline. Yeminanga. Claude Sese. Kumeso. Victor Kande Betu. Cuny. Gerard. Bilengue. Constantin Miaka Mia. May 2006. Comparison of cytokine plasma levels in human African trypanosomiasis. Tropical Medicine and International Health. en. 11. 5. 647–653. 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01612.x. 16640617. 1360-2276. free.
  5. Simo. Gustave. Diabakana. Philemon. Betu Ku Mesu. Victor. Manzambi. Emile. Ollivier. Gaelle. Asonganyi. Tazoacha. Cuny. Gerard. Grebaut. Pascal. 2006. Human African Trypanosomiasis Transmission, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Emerging Infectious Diseases. en. 12. 12. 1968–1970. 10.3201/eid1212.060516. 17326955. 3291358. 1080-6040.
  6. Van Nieuwenhove. Simon. Betu-Ku-Mesu. Victor Kande. Diabakana. Philemon Mansinsa. Declercq. Johan. Bilenge. Constantin Miaka Mia. May 2001. Sleeping sickness resurgence in the DRC: the past decade. Tropical Medicine and International Health. en. 6. 5. 335–341. 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2001.00731.x. 11348528. 1360-2276. free.
  7. News: Trial of DB289 for the Treatment of Stage I African Trypanosomiasis - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov. 2018-11-19. en.
  8. Burri. Christian. Yeramian. Patrick D.. Allen. James L.. Merolle. Ada. Serge. Kazadi Kyanza. Mpanya. Alain. Lutumba. Pascal. Mesu. Victor Kande Betu Ku. Bilenge. Constantin Miaka Mia. 2016-02-16. Efficacy, Safety, and Dose of Pafuramidine, a New Oral Drug for Treatment of First Stage Sleeping Sickness, in a Phase 2a Clinical Study and Phase 2b Randomized Clinical Studies. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. en. 10. 2. e0004362. 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004362. 1935-2735. 4755713. 26881924 . free .
  9. Pivotal Study of Fexinidazole for Human African Trypanosomiasis in Stage 2 - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov. clinicaltrials.gov. 17 February 2018 . en. 2019-07-29.
  10. News: Richard Lehman's journal review—13 November 2017 - The BMJ. 2017-11-13. The BMJ. 2018-11-20. en-US.
  11. Web site: Award Anne Maurer Cecchini Geneva Health Forum 2018. Geneva Health Forum 2018. en-US. 2018-11-19.
  12. Mesu. Victor Kande Betu Ku. Kalonji. Wilfried Mutombo. Bardonneau. Clélia. Mordt. Olaf Valverde. Blesson. Séverine. Simon. François. Delhomme. Sophie. Bernhard. Sonja. Kuziena. Willy. January 2018. Oral fexinidazole for late-stage African Trypanosoma brucei gambiense trypanosomiasis: a pivotal multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial. The Lancet. English. 391. 10116. 144–154. 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32758-7. 29113731. 46781585. 0140-6736. free.
  13. Web site: CHMP recommends first oral-only treatment for sleeping sickness. CZARSKA-THORLEY. Dagmara. 2018-11-16. European Medicines Agency. en. 2019-07-29.
  14. Web site: Fexinidazole, the first all-oral treatment for sleeping sickness, approved in Democratic Republic of Congo DNDi. Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). 29 January 2019 . en-GB. 2019-07-29.
  15. Web site: ASTMH 2018 – DNDi. www.dndi.org. en-GB. 2018-11-19.
  16. Web site: Prospective Study on Efficacy and Safety of SCYX-7158 in Patients Infected by Human African Trypanosomiasis Due to T.b. Gambiense - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov. clinicaltrials.gov. en. 2019-07-29.
  17. Web site: ASTMH 2018 – DNDi. www.dndi.org. en-GB. 2018-11-19.

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