Innovative Design and Synthesis of Antiparasitic Agents

On a global scale the protozoan parasite plasmodiurn falciparum is estimated to cause in excess of 800 million cases of malaria per year. Of this number approximately 150 million individuals develop serious disease with the annual number of deaths caused by P. falciparum estimated to be 2 million. It is generally believed that the worldwide burden of malaria will increase in the upcoming years because of the continual emergence of drug-resistance strains of P. falciparurm and the significant increase in international travel. As a result there is an urgent need for new drugs and more efficient use of existing drugs in areas in which drug resistance has yet to become prevalent. Investigators at INTERLAB have recently discovered a significant synergy between antimalarial compounds of the oxidant class in combination with certain proprietary reagents. The synergy leads to potentiation of antimalarial activity at least 300 fold. The presence of these compounds does not apparently influence the growth and differentiation of normal nanmalian cells in vitro and thus may represent an observation of far reaching impact for treatment of malaria. Because of the proposed site of action leading to this antimalarial synergy, it is also likely that this observation will have application in the control of other disease caused by protozoan parasites Drug resistance is an increasing problem encounterdd in the treatment of malaria. There a significant military and civilian need for new drugs for the treatment of malaria.