Fosmidomycin for the treatment of malaria.

Abstract

In malaria parasites, isoprenoids are synthesised by the mevalonate independent 1-deoxy- D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DOXP) pathway. Fosmidomycin, a natural antibiotic originally developed for the treatment of bacterial infections, represents an inhibitor of DOXP reductoisomerase, an essential enzyme of this pathway. In recent clinical studies it was shown that fosmidomycin is effective in curing uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in humans. The treatment was well tolerated and resulted in a fast parasite and fever clearance. However, the high rate of recrudescence precludes the use of fosmidomycin as a monotherapy. In drug combination studies, synergy of fosmidomycin with clindamycin was observed. Clinical studies with a fosmidomycin-clindamycin combination are currently ongoing.

• Authors: Jochen Wiesner, Steffen Borrmann, Hassan Jomaa
• Journal: Parasitology research (Parasitol Res) Vol. 90 Suppl 2 Pg. S71-6 (Jun 2003) ISSN: 0932-0113 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 12937969 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• 1-deoxylulose 5-phosphate
• Antimalarials
• Pentosephosphates
• Terpenes
• Fosfomycin
• Clindamycin
• fosmidomycin

Topics

• Animals
• Antimalarials (pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
• Clindamycin (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Drug Synergism
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Fosfomycin (analogs & derivatives, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Malaria, Falciparum (drug therapy)
• Pentosephosphates (metabolism)
• Plasmodium (drug effects)
• Plasmodium falciparum (drug effects, metabolism)
• Terpenes (metabolism)