Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While multidrug treatment regimens are the standard of care, the lengthy treatment schedule and the emergence of drug-resistant TB highlight the need for new therapeutic options to address these challenges. Inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (GuaB) is vital for bacterial survival and propagation; therefore, GuaB inhibitors are considered potential compounds to add to first-line TB treatment.

Researchers from Kevirx Inc. and collaborators have described the use of KVX-053, a PTP4A3 inhibitor aimed to be used for the prevention of COVID-19-associated cute lung injury (ALI).

Researchers from Shanxi Medical University, Nanjing Agricultural University and China Pharmaceutical University, have detailed the discovery and preclinical characterization of antibiotic candidates against multidrug-resistant gram-positive pathogens.

The boronic acid transition state inhibitors S-02030 and MB-076 were strategically designed to be active against cephalosporinases and carbapenemases, especially KPC (Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase).

The Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation and Wellcome have announced the launch of the Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator (Gr-ADI), a $50 million investment that will focus on combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused by a specific range of bacteria that are among the leading contributors to AMR-associated deaths.

Two simultaneous but independent studies published in Science identified, by introducing mutants into its genome, the essential and nonessential genes of Plasmodium knowlesi, one of the malaria parasites related to the dreaded Plasmodium vivax. Their results could help in the development and prioritization of antimalarial strategies.

Bioversys AG has announced that its BV500 NTM program has reached its second milestone with the identification of up to five optimized lead compounds, under the CF AMR Syndicate collaborative discovery program agreement.

Leishmaniasis is a life-threatening parasitic infection and one of the most concerning neglected vector-borne tropical diseases worldwide. Current leishmaniasis chemotherapeuticals are poorly effective and cause significant adverse effects. Metal-containing drugs have been little explored as antibacterial and antiparasitic agents, although some have shown promise against Leishmania.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has gained clinical trial clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for SYS-6017, an mRNA vaccine to prevent herpes zoster infections.