Prof. Achim Hoerauf is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and leader in research on neglected tropical diseases, with a particular focus on filarial and other helminth infections. His work bridges fundamental science, clinical research and product development, with the goal of translating scientific discoveries into new interventions for populations affected by poverty-related infectious diseases.
His research was instrumental in establishing the Wolbachia endosymbiont as a therapeutic target in filarial diseases and in pioneering anti-Wolbachia therapy as a novel macrofilaricidal treatment strategy. Building on these discoveries, his team is advancing Corallopyronin A, a first-in-class anti-Wolbachia drug approaching clinical development.
At the EDCTP meeting, Prof. Hoerauf will present the eWhorm project, which explores the development of oxfendazole as a potential new treatment for helminth infections. For more than two decades, he has built long-standing partnerships with African scientists and institutions and has led or contributed to numerous international clinical studies. He is Chair of the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs), has repeatedly served on WHO Expert Advisory Panels, and is a member of the Mectizan Expert Committee.