1. alelima@usp.br www.patentes.usp.br
NEW DRUG CANDIDATE FOR CHAGAS DISEASE TREATMENT
FANNY PALACE-BERL; KERLY FERNANDA MESQUITA PASQUALOTO; LEOBERTO COSTA TAVARES;
INTRODUCTION
Chagas' disease, classified as extremely neglected, is endemic in 21 regions of Latin America and, due to migratory flows, has spread beyond its traditional limits of occurrence. With 6 to 7 million contamined individuals, Chagas disease has only one drug available for its treatment, benznidazole, yet it works with low efficacy and only in the acute phase of the disease.
Thinking about the needing of developing a more effective treatment and that reach the chronic fase of the deasease, the present technology was based on the molecular modification of the drug nifuroxazide, used as prototype compound, in order to obtain a library of azomethine compounds derived from 5-nitrofuran. From this library, compounds with high efficacy and low toxicity were selected for the treatment of Chagas' disease, both in the acute and chronic phases, the latter being responsible for the greater morbidity, often with disability of its patients, and the high mortality rate of the disease.
APPLICATION AND TARGET MARKET
The technology serves as a support tool in the pharmaceutical and pharmacochemical industrial sector, in the area of Health and Care (Human and animal), aiming to treat a highly neglected disease more safely and effectively during the acute and chronic phases of it.
Images -1. Endemic areas of Chagas disease in 2015.
2. Triatoma brasiliensis species, vector of Chagas' disease in Brazilian areas.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE
Area: Health and Care (Human and Animals); Others; 0083/2016 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences - USP
Patent protected under the no. BR
São Paulo Pole