60 Degrees announces results from an insurance claims analysis on babesiosis

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals (SXTP) announced results of an insurance claims analysis related to babesiosis and chronic fatigue, as conducted by Komodo Health. Results showed approximately 25,000 Americans seek reimbursement for babesiosis-related medical costs each year, according to 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals. In contrast, current estimates published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show only 2,000 cases in 2020. Babesia infections last at least 12 months in 14 percent of patients and may relapse up to 27 months later, as documented in the scientific literature. Many physicians treating tick-borne infections speculate the true duration of infection may be much longer. The claims data indicated approximately 31 percent of babesiosis cases persist longer than 30 days, and that nearly half of those are associated with chronic fatigue lasting longer than six months. Fatigue is the last symptom of babesiosis to resolve in acute disease. Chronic fatigue during babesiosis has not been systematically described in the literature. Further, the claims data, which captured approximately 40 percent of U.S. diagnostic data, showed that over three years, more than 12 million U.S. adults experienced chronic fatigue greater than six months in duration. Current Infectious Diseases Society of America advice and other professional guidelines do not mandate babesiosis as a differential diagnosis if a patient self-reports experiencing such fatigue. The Company is testing, through its clinical development program, the medical hypothesis that the true burden of babesiosis is much larger than claims data suggest and is a function of the incidence of chronic fatigue lasting six months or longer, multiplied by the proportion of such individuals with confirmable infections. A molecular incidence study in patients with chronic fatigue commissioned by the Company was recently completed. Once published, the data will allow establishment of a ceiling on the incidence of persistent babesiosis.