Schistosomiasis, caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma,
is one of the most significant neglected tropical diseases in about 70 tropical and
subtropical countries. It is estimated that over 200 million people are infected and more
than 770 million are at risk of infection. S. mansoni, S. haematobium and S. japonicum
are the major etiological agents of human schistosomiasis, whose treatment is
dependent on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). In the light of the exclusive
dependency on PZQ, there is an urgent and unmet need to discover novel therapeutic
agents against this pathogen. In this chapter, we comprehensively addressed chemical
and pharmacological aspects of the schistosomicidal patented compounds in the early
20th century, beginning with antimonials as the first compounds in the schistosomiasis
treatment, passing over the next years with many chemical derivatives, such as
imidazoline, acridone and carbazoles, and, after, with PZQ and artemisinin, in the
1980s. Also, recent patents have been described covering other drugs, such as Nphosphorylate
amino acids, peroxide derivatives, and cysteine protease inhibitors along
with new patents based on natural compounds, such as alkaloids, terpenes, and
anthraquinones.
Keywords: Alkaloids, Antimonials, Artemisin, Bilharzia, Natural Products,
Patent, Piperazine, Praziquantel, Schistosomiasis, Schistosoma, Terpenes.
