Novamycin, a novel peptide antifungal intervention for clinically challenging mycoses in immunocompromised patients
Deborah O'Neil
CEO/CSO, NovaBiotics Ltd
Impaired immunity as a consequence of chemotherapy, infection or malignancy leads to a reduced antimicrobial peptide (AMP) host immune response. This is because of the depletion (in number & functionality) of the sources of these key immune effector molecules; neutrophils & epithelial cells. Patients in this immunocompromised state are consequently susceptible & often succumb to fungal infections from organisms such as Aspergillus Spp, Candida Spp & Cryptococcus Spp which a functioning AMP system would normally keep in check. Increasing infection & mortality rates from fungal infections drive an urgent need for new antifungal solutions to these poorly served clinical challenges. NovaBiotics has engineered Novamycin, a novel, arginine-based AMP to target these infections as a more potent "replacement" of naturally occurring AMP. As a membrane-acting, rapidly fungicidal agent, Novamycin has multiple benefits & USPs over the existing, limited armoury of ineffective &/or toxic hydrophobic small molecule antifungals; not least its lack of toxicity, resistance development, more rapid time of kill & broader spectrum of antifungal activity. NovaBiotics has demonstrated that as a hydrophilic peptide, Novamycin has the physicochemical benefit over existing therapeutic options of being able to be successfully formulated & delivered by inhalation, parenterally & mucocutaneously to effectively target at least Aspergillus Spp & Candida Spp in the respiratory tract, blood stream/deep tissues & in the oral & vaginal cavities. Novamycin is highly differentiated as a much needed antifungal therapeutic candidate & on the basis of the in positive in vitro and in vivo efficacy & toxicology data sets obtained thus far, will progress quickly into clinical development as an inhaled therapy in pulmonary Aspergillosis in the first instance.