LXE408 is an oral antileishmanarial compound that selectively targets the kinetoplastid proteosome vs. the mammalian proteosome. The prior candidate, GNF6702, had solubility-limited oral absorption, which could have been addressed with a specialized formulation but would have increased the cost and limited use in developing countries. A [...]

Recently, Novartis disclosed a new class of brain-penetrant, covalent agents against kinetoplastid parasites in Science. Kinetoplastid parasites cause Chagas disease (T. cruzi), sleeping sickness (T. brucei), and leishmaniasis (Leishmania), but there are few effective treatment options, especially for infections in the brain (e.g. stage II sleeping sickness).

A Ph. II liver-targeting HBV core protein modulator optimized for ADMET properties. Linvencorvir (RG7907), a novel HBV core protein allosteric modulator, offers a promising treatment option for chronic hepatitis B which affects 296 million people globally. It possesses an interesting glue-like mechanism that causes the HBV core protein to [...]

AM-2-19 (SF001) is an analog of the notoriously toxic IV antifungal drug, amphotericin B (AmB). Compared with AmB, AM-2-19 is significantly less toxic against primary human cells and in mice, while more broadly active against fungal pathogens including antifungal drug-resistant strains. SF001 received Fast-Track Designation from the FDA in 2023 and has progressed to Ph. I clinical development. This article highlights the history of antifungal polyene natural products, a new mechanistic hypothesis for polyene antibiotic activity, and the design of 3rd generation Erg-specific polyenes.

Infection with the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is a leading cause of fatality in the tropical regions of the world, with over 240M infections and >600k deaths each year. Currently, over half of the world population is at risk of infection and with the rise of resistance against current treatments, the need for new antimalarials is clear. At the ACS Fall 2024 conference in Denver, CO, Novartis outlined the structure and discovery story of NVP-IWY357, a novel antimalarial that has no cross-resistance to current drugs and the potential to achieve a single-dose cure.