In a human phase I trial, AQ13 was shown to be well tolerated and preclinical analysis indicates that AQ13 is highly active against Plasmodium falciparum, the most severe form of malaria.
The drug has also shown good activity against resistant isolates of malaria; drug resistance is the primary cause of malaria treatment failures globally.
“AQ13 shows significant promise in fighting malaria and is an excellent partner for combination therapy studies with our next generation compounds. We are excited about expanding Immtech’s product pipeline by partnering with Tulane,” commented Daniel Schmitt, vice president, licensing and commercial development of Immtech.
The market for anti-malaria drugs is focused on a population of 2.6 billion people living in the developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. In addition there are approximately 125 million international travelers who require prophylaxis when visiting countries where malaria is endemic.