Many existing treatments are insufficiently effective or accessible, and are adversely affected by common problems such as microbial resistance or severe side-effects 2 . Recently, there have been notable advances, including the introduction of eflornithine-nifurtimox therapy, the approval of the oral medication fexinidazole, and the successful phase II/III trials of the oral drug candidate acoziborole for the management of sleeping sickness . Nonetheless, the proactive development of alternative therapeutics remains of high importance.