Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $583,544 to the World Health Organization to support a study on the antibiotic Cefixime as a potential treatment for syphilis in pregnant women. Currently, the only WHO-endorsed treatment for pregnant women is penicillin, which crosses the placental barrier and protects the unborn infant against congenital syphilis. Recent shortages of penicillin have made finding alternative treatments more urgent. This study will examine Cefixime’s pharmacokinetics (how the body processes the drug) to support its potential approval for treating syphilis during pregnancy.
This follows Open Philanthropy’s April 2023 support and falls within its focus area of scientific research.