Novel Route of Synthesis of Antimalarial Drug

This project aims to develop an effective single-dose treatment to benefit vulnerable populations,including children under the age of 5 and pregnant women. It focused on optimizing the synthetic route for scaling up a pantothenamide analog, a novel acetyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor and preclinical candidate for a single-exposure radical cure for malaria, which has the potential to block transmission. The team has improved the efficiency of the synthesis route and a cGMP batch has been successfully manufactured to the required specifications, thereby demonstrating the project’s success in process optimization aimed toward lowering production costs and enabling affordable pricing. With these advancements, the team has successfully progressed into Phase I/first-in-human clinical trials through the Bridging Award of RIGHT, utilizing the cGMP drug substance produced through the optimized route.