Novel Malaria drug KAE 609 Phase II results published in NEJM - Novartis

Novartis has published clinical trial results in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that KAE 609 (cipargamin), a novel and potent antimalarial drug candidate, cleared the parasite rapidly in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) and Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) uncomplicated Malaria patients.

Novartis currently has two drug candidates in development. Both KAE 609 and KAF 156 are new classes of anti-malarial compounds that treat malaria in different ways from current therapies, important to combat emerging drug resistance. Novartis has also identified PI4K as a new drug target with potential to prevent, block and treat malaria.

In June 2012, 21 patients infected by one of the two main malaria-causing parasite types took part in a proof-of-concept clinical study conducted in Bangkok and Mae Sot near the Thailand/Burma border where resistance to current therapies had been reported. Researchers saw rapid parasite clearance in adult patients (median of 12 hours) with uncomplicated P. vivax or P. falciparum malaria infection including those with resistant parasites. No safety concerns were identified, however the study was too small for any safety conclusions. KAE609 is currently being planned for Phase IIb trials.

See- "Spiroindolone KAE609 for Falciparum and Vivax Malaria"- Nicholas J. White, F.R.S., Sasithon Pukrittayakamee, M.B., B.S., D.Phil., Aung Pyae Phyo, M.D., Ronnatrai Rueangweerayut, M.D., Fran�ois Nosten, M.D., Podjanee Jittamala, M.D., Atthanee Jeeyapant, M.Sc., Jay Prakash Jain, Ph.D., Gilbert Lef�vre, Ph.D., Ruobing Li, M.D., Baldur Magnusson, Ph.D., Thierry T. Diagana, Ph.D., and F. Joel Leong, M.B., B.S., D.Phil.- N Engl J Med 2014; 371:403-410July 31, 2014DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1315860.