AN2 Therapeutics has signed an exclusive licence agreement with the University of Georgia Research Foundation to advance the development of a new boron-containing small molecule to treat Chagas disease.
The boron-based molecules were initially discovered by a team of researchers from Pfizer’s wholly-owned subsidiary Anacor Pharmaceuticals and the University of Georgia, using non-dilutive grant funding from Wellcome.
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The key compound in this series, AN2-502998, was discovered in partnership with Professor Rick Tarleton from the University of Georgia.
Wellcome has supported preclinical activities, carried out in collaboration with Tarleton.
AN2 Therapeutics co-founder, president and CEO Eric Easom stated: “AN2-502998 is the only compound to date that demonstrates complete cures of infection in non-human primates with long-term, naturally acquired chronic infections of diverse T cruzi genetic types.
“Professor Tarleton and scientists from AN2 have advanced this research, and with IND-enabling preclinical studies for AN2-502998 well underway and this licence in hand, we are excited to further develop AN2-502998 as a potential treatment for Chagas disease.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Chagas disease to be a neglected tropical disease.
It is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi (T cruzi) parasite that spreads through a subspecies of blood-feeding insects commonly known as “kissing bugs”.
The WHO estimates that seven million people worldwide are infected with the parasite.
