OUR SPECIFIC AIM IS TO SYNTHESIZE PROPRIETARY DRUGS TO TREAT SCHISTOSOMIASIS, LEISHMANEASIS AND TRYPANOMIASIS PARASITIC DISEASES.

OUR SPECIFIC AIM IS TO SYNTHESIZE PROPRIETARY DRUGS TO TREAT SCHISTOSOMIASIS, LEISHMANEASIS AND TRYPANOMIASIS PARASITIC DISEASES. THE BASIS FOR THIS PROPOSAL IS RELATED TO TWO TECHNICAL ASSUMPTIONS WHICH SHOULD GREATLY REDUCE THE TOXICITY OF ANTIMONY WHILE ENHANCING THE EFFICACY OF THE DRUGS. THERE ARE SCATTERED REFERENCES FROM THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE SUGGESTING THESE IMPROVEMENTS. APPROXIMATELY 20 NEW TRIVALENT ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS WILL BE PREPARED. PRIMARILY THEY WILL BE DERIVATIVES OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, HYDROXY-CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND CARBOHYDRATES. THESE NEW COMPOSITIONS WILL BE TESTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BY PROF. WILLIAM L. HANSON. BESIDES REDUCING TOXICITY, ANOTHER BADLY NEEDED IMPROVEMENT IN THE THERAPEUTIC ADMINISTRATION OF ANTIPARASITIC DRUGS WOULD BE TO HAVE THE DRUGS TAKEN ORALLY RATHER THAN BY INCONVENIENT AND PAINFUL SUBCUTANEROUS OR INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS. THE STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS OF THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD RESULT IN MORE STABLE AND BIOAVAILABLE ANTIMONY COMPOSITIONS ADMINISTERED BY ORAL INGESTION. THE AWARD, IF GRANTED, WOULD GIVE OUR NEW FLEDGLING FIRM CREDIBILITY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL CAPITAL FROM VARIOUS SOURCES SUCH AS OTHER INTERESTED FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION OR VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS TO ASSIST US IN BUILDING UP OUR R&D AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.