Tarsus Kicks Off Phase 2 Trial of Oral TP‑05 for Lyme Disease Prevention

Calliope will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of oral TP‑05 in adults at risk for Lyme, with a design informed by the earlier Carpo Phase 2a proof‑of‑concept study.

TP-05 is lotilaner, which goes by the brand name, Credelio, and is what Sparky takes every month to kill ticks.

This is all I wanted.  There are a half-dozen methods to protect dogs from ticks, but nothing for humans except fraught news reports about Lyme disease and tick-borne maladies.  There is also a bunch of stupid stuff about cutting your grass and tucking your pants into your socks.

I have a patch of land and a super-cute brush piglet.  Sparky likes to crawl through brush looking for rabbits and he likes to hop up on my lap.  Ticks are going to get through.

Last night, I found a tick that was latched on.  Last year, that happened twice. 

I took a photo, and will take a photo every day for a couple of weeks to make sure there is no ring or spreading infection.  I won’t post the photo because ticks are gross.  It’s much worse when you look in the mirror and see the thing.  It’s a little bit like this illustration.

It’s like a popped zit, with a few hairs sticking out.  Look close, and the hairs are moving because they are the legs of an animal that is burrowing.   

This time, heat was used to get her to back out, then a tweezer grab.  I did not sleep well.

We are told that ticks are incredibly dangerous, but nobody does anything when you get bit.  Don’t bother saving the tick for testing and don’t bother getting antibiotics.  If you do call your doctor or go to urgent care, they will give you a one-day dose of antibiotic to get you to go home.

There is a Lyme disease vaccine coming out that is 70% effective.  I’m going to get that, but Lyme disease isn’t the only issue.

In my research, I found this TP-05/Latilaner/Credelio preliminary study.

40 healthy adult subjects were randomized across five single-ascending dose (SAD) cohorts to receive TP-05 or placebo (25, 100, 400, 600 mg under fed conditions, and 600 mg under fasted conditions).

There were 20 additional subjects who got a placebo.  Headaches were reported by six people, one of whom had gotten the placebo.

Last year, I talked to my doctor and veterinarian about the idea of taking Credelio.  The veterinarian had the only plausible objection.  People live much longer than dogs, so there could be a long-term effect that hasn’t shown up in animal testing.  

I’m tempted to take Credelio.  I’m going to be 66 years old, and Sparky is going to be 13.  If I take it for a few years, what could happen?  And if something happens, is that likely to be worse than what I’d get from a couple of tick bites each year?