A breakthrough may be near in treatment for a disease that affects more than 70 million people in South-East Asia.

Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is one of the oldest and most debilitating tropical diseases.

Spread by mosquitoes, the disease causes severe disfigurement which can lead to permanent disability.

Now a new treatment is being developed by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative.

Mass treatment

The initiative is supported by the Pasteur Institute and the World Health Organisation.

Dr Robert Don told Radio Australia's Connect Asia the disease, at present, is treated by "mass drug administration".

"Everyone who is potentially at risk is given one tablet once a year, which kills the juvenile or the baby worms, and that stops the worms from spreading from one person to the next," he said.

"That continues until the adult worms die in normally infected people."

"What we're looking at is a drug that kills the adult worms, so instead of treating several times for many years, we hope we can reduce that to one or two years," Dr Don said.

©2011 ABC