ASP5286 is an analog of the natural product cyclosporin A that maintains the anti-HCV activity of cyclosporin A by binding to cyclophilin, but was optimized to be less immunosuppresive than cyclosporin A. The macrocycle was identified through semisynthetic derivitization of a related natural product, FR901459. The Astellas team was able to [...]

JNJ-53718678 is a potent and orally available fusion inhibitor of the RSV virus, optimized from a prior oral inhibitor, BMS-433771. The prior inhibitor was challenged by moderate potency, suboptimal PK in preclinical species, limited lung distribution, and potential complications from CYP TDI due to an aminocyclopropyl moiety. The improved [...]

GSK2818713 is an HCV NS5A replication complex inhibitor with an interesting biphenylene linker. The crowded, hotly competitive NS5A space has led to a lot of creative chemical scaffolds including this one.

MK-5204 is a broad spectrum Candida antifungal agent derived from the natural product, enfumafungin. I was impressed that the molecule not only demonstrates oral efficacy but also has good oral PK in higher species (dog, cyno), given that the molecule is a large zwitterion with several very polar groups, including a primary amide, primary [...]

ETX0282 is an oral prodrug of a class A, C, and D serine β-lactamase inhibitor in clinical development for drug-resistant enterobacterial infections in combination with the beta-lactam drug cefpodoxime proxetil. Impressively ETX0282 had no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) of 500 mg/kg/day and 400 mg/kg/day in rat and dog, respectively, [...]