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news.Drug development company FASgen has reported results of recent studies demonstrating that its lead treatment for TB and MDR-TB, FAS20013, is both highly bactericidal and has a potent sterilizing effect against rifampin-tolerant bacteria.
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FAS20013 proved to be powerfully bactericidal against anaerobically adapted mycobacterium bovis BCG, killing the BCG at concentrations ranging from 1.5 micrograms (60% killing activity) to 50 micrograms concentration (99% killing activity).
FAS20013 also demonstrated potent sterilizing activity against rifampin-tolerant persisters, with an average reduction in viable cells of 1.5log at all concentrations tested.
Taken together, these findings support a conclusion that FAS20013 is active against latent TB bacilli in vivo and should support a substantially shortened course of therapy against the active disease. This is additional evidence that FAS20013 represents the basis for an entirely new, safe and effective therapy for drug sensitive and resistant forms of TB.
FASgen has designed and synthesized many compounds that selectively inhibit fatty acid biosynthesis. In addition to the TB and MDR-TB compounds, one other group of the company’s proprietary compounds holds great promise for new and highly specific therapeutics for cancer; additional compounds have the potential of specific therapeutics for obesity and related metabolic disorders.