WEHI Wednesday Seminar hosted by Associate Professor Chris Tonkin

Alan F. Cowman
Laboratory Head, Infection and Global Health division, WEHI

Development of novel antimalarials – bench to clinical trials

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via SLIDO enter code #WEHIWednesday

Including Q&A session
 

Artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) remain the primary treatment for malaria, caused by the intracellular parasite Plasmodium spp. However, increasing resistance to ACTs underscores the critical need for new drugs with novel modes of action. Our research has identified the aspartic proteases Plasmepsin IX and X (PMIX and PMX) as promising drug targets.

In collaboration with Merck Sharp and Dohme (West Point, USA), we have established a drug discovery program that has developed potent dual inhibitors of PMIX and PMX. These novel compounds effectively block multiple stages of the Plasmodium lifecycle and demonstrate potent activity against all malaria species that infect humans. The dual-targeting nature of these inhibitors create a high barrier to resistance development, a crucial advantage in antimalarial therapy. Our efforts have led to the development of clinical candidates, with MK-7602 successfully progressing through Phase 1 clinical trials, including a Controlled Human Infection Model (CHIM) with P. falciparum.

This seminar will highlight the collaboration between WEHI and Merck Sharp and Dohme, tracing the journey of this novel class of antimalarials from hit discovery to lead optimization, clinical candidate selection, and first-in-human clinical trials. It will include the challenges overcome and the potential impact of these compounds on global malaria control efforts.

All welcome!