Antiparasitic agents: new drugs on the horizon

The need for new drugs against tropical parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei is persistent since problems with resistance and toxicity are jeopardizing the currently available medicines. Public-private partnerships aiming to develop new medicines for malaria and sleeping sickness have, over the past 12 years, brought forward several drug candidates that have entered clinical trials. These are the synthetic peroxide OZ439 and the spiroindolone NITD609 against P. falciparum, fexinidazole and the oxaborole SCYX-7158 against T. brucei. A further class of high chemotherapeutic potential are the diamidines, novel members of which may serve as back-up compounds against trypanosomes and other parasites. Thus, finally, new therapeutic agents against malaria and sleeping sickness are within reach.

► New drug candidates are being clinically tested against malaria and sleeping sickness.
► For malaria these are the synthetic peroxide OZ439 and the spiroindolone NITD609.
► For sleeping sickness these are fexinidazole and the benzoxaborole SCYX-7158.
► Novel diamidines were identified that cure sleeping sickness in animal models.