Treague is collaborating with Medicines for Malaria Venture, a Geneva-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing malaria, to develop RS(+) mefloquine for the treatment of malaria in countries where it is widely prevalent. In addition, Treague plans to develop RS(+) mefloquine for the prophylaxis of malaria for commercial sale.
Mefloquine is said to be a highly efficacious anti-malarial drug that is approved in its racemic form for both treatment (in combination with artesunate) and prophylaxis (as monotherapy) of malaria.
Robert Tansley, Treague’s development and medical director, said: “By building on the pre-clinical and clinical work conducted by Sosei, we have the opportunity to rapidly develop an efficacious anti-malarial with potentially significant clinical advantages over existing treatment options.”