Development of Falcipain Inhibitors as Antimalarial Drugs

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Investigator: Philip J. Rosenthal, MD
Sponsor: Medicines for Malaria Venture

Location(s): United States

Description

Falcipains are cysteine proteases that, along with other enzymes, enable the malaria parasite to use human haemoglobin from the red blood cell for its own development. Falcipain inhibitors block this process and thereby kill malaria parasites.  In 2005, the objective of the project team is to address issues concerning selectivity, resistance and preliminary toxicology with the aim to have a number of candidate compounds from which a drug candidate can be selected in the following year.