DNDI-6174 is a preclinical candidate for visceral leishmaniasis that targets the cytochrome bc1

New drugs for visceral leishmaniasis that are safe, low cost, and adapted to the field are urgently required. Despite concerted efforts over the last several years, the number of new chemical entities that are suitable for clinical development for the treatment of Leishmania remains low. Here, we describe the discovery and preclinical development of DNDI-6174, an inhibitor of Leishmania cytochrome bc1 complex activity that originated from a phenotypically identified pyrrolopyrimidine series. This compound fulfills all target candidate profile criteria required for progression into preclinical development. In addition to good metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties, DNDI-6174 demonstrates potent in vitro activity against a variety of Leishmania species and can reduce parasite burden in animal models of infection, with the potential to approach sterile cure. No major flags were identified in preliminary safety studies, including an exploratory 14-day toxicology study in the rat. DNDI-6174 is a cytochrome bc1 complex inhibitor with acceptable development properties to enter preclinical development for visceral leishmaniasis.</p

DNDI-6174 is a preclinical candidate for visceral leishmaniasis that targets the cytochrome bc1

New drugs for visceral leishmaniasis that are safe, low cost, and adapted to the field are urgently required. Despite concerted efforts over the last several years, the number of new chemical entities that are suitable for clinical development for the treatment of Leishmania remains low. Here, we describe the discovery and preclinical development of DNDI-6174, an inhibitor of Leishmania cytochrome bc1 complex activity that originated from a phenotypically identified pyrrolopyrimidine series. This compound fulfills all target candidate profile criteria required for progression into preclinical development. In addition to good metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties, DNDI-6174 demonstrates potent in vitro activity against a variety of Leishmania species and can reduce parasite burden in animal models of infection, with the potential to approach sterile cure. No major flags were identified in preliminary safety studies, including an exploratory 14-day toxicology study in the rat. DNDI-6174 is a cytochrome bc1 complex inhibitor with acceptable development properties to enter preclinical development for visceral leishmaniasis.</p

DNDI-6174 is a preclinical candidate for visceral leishmaniasis that targets the cytochrome bc1.

New drugs for visceral leishmaniasis that are safe, low cost, and adapted to the field are urgently required. Despite concerted efforts over the last several years, the number of new chemical entities that are suitable for clinical development for the treatment of Leishmania remains low. Here, we describe the discovery and preclinical development of DNDI-6174, an inhibitor of Leishmania cytochrome bc1 complex activity that originated from a phenotypically identified pyrrolopyrimidine series. This compound fulfills all target candidate profile criteria required for progression into preclinical development. In addition to good metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties, DNDI-6174 demonstrates potent in vitro activity against a variety of Leishmania species and can reduce parasite burden in animal models of infection, with the potential to approach sterile cure. No major flags were identified in preliminary safety studies, including an exploratory 14-day toxicology study in the rat. DNDI-6174 is a cytochrome bc1 complex inhibitor with acceptable development properties to enter preclinical development for visceral leishmaniasis

Understanding Oxadiazolothiazinone Biological Properties: Negative Inotropic Activity versus Cytochrome P450-Mediated Metabolism

We present a series of oxadiazolothiazinones, selective inotropic agents on isolated cardiac tissues, devoid of chronotropy and vasorelaxant activity. Functional and binding data for the precursor of the series (compound 1) let us hypothesize LTCC blocking activity and the existence of a recognition site specific for this scaffold. We synthesized and tested 22 new derivatives: introducing a para-methoxyphenyl at C-8 led to compound 12 (EC50 = 0.022 μM), twice as potent as its para-bromo analogue (1). For 10 analogues, we extended the characterization of the biological properties by including the assessment of metabolic stability in human liver microsomes and cytochrome P450 inhibition potential. We observed that the methoxy group led to active compounds with low metabolic stability and high CYP inhibition, whereas the protective effect of bromine resulted in enhanced metabolic stability and reduced CYP inhibition. Thus, we identified two para-bromo benzothiazino-analogues as candidates for further studies

Trioxolane-Mediated Delivery of Mefloquine Limits Brain Exposure in a Mouse Model of Malaria

Peroxidic antimalarial agents including the sequiterpene artemisinins and the synthetic 1,2,4-trioxolanes function via initial intraparasitic reduction of an endoperoxide bond. By chemically coupling this reduction to release of a tethered drug species it is possible to confer two distinct pharmacological effects in a parasite-selective fashion, both in vitro and in vivo. Here we demonstrate the trioxolane-mediated delivery of the antimalarial agent mefloquine in a mouse malaria model. Selective partitioning of the trioxolane–mefloquine conjugate in parasitized erythrocytes, combined with effective exclusion of the conjugate from brain significantly reduced brain exposure as compared to mice directly administered mefloquine. These studies suggest the potential of trioxolane-mediated drug delivery to mitigate off-target effects of existing drugs, including the adverse neuropsychiatric effects of mefloquine use in therapeutic and chemoprophylactic settings

Long-lasting and fast-acting in vivo efficacious antiplasmodial azepanylcarbazole amino alcohol

With ∼429,000 deaths in 2016, malaria remains a major infectious disease where the need to treat the fever symptoms, but also to provide relevant post-treatment prophylaxis, is of major importance. An azepanylcarbazole amino alcohol is disclosed with a long- and fast-acting in vivo antiplasmodial efficacy and meets numerous attributes of a desired post-treatment chemoprophylactic antimalarial agent. The synthesis, the parasitological characterization, and the animal pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this compound are presented along with a proposed target