60 Degrees (SXTP) Starts Early Enrollment in Tafenoquine Trial for Babesiosis

60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals (SXTP) on May 27, 2026, said it has begun early enrollment in a clinical study evaluating tafenoquine for babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic infection. The move advances the company's pipeline beyond malaria and targets an area with limited approved treatments. The trial aims to assess whether tafenoquine, already U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved for malaria prophylaxis, can clear the Babesia parasite more effectively than standard therapies. Babesiosis, transmitted by the same ticks that carry Lyme disease, can cause severe flu-like illness and is increasingly prevalent in parts of the U.S. 60 Degrees earlier reported positive preclinical results for tafenoquine in babesiosis models. No completion timeline for the study was disclosed. Shares of the company, which focuses on therapies for infectious diseases, rose 4% in premarket trading.