Quantum-Biosciences, LLC, a new bio-tech start up launches this month to meet urgent need for more safe and effective antimalarial therapeutics. Quantum-Biosciences intends to license the patent for use of cethromycin to treat liver-stage malaria and related disease from JHTV to further develop and commercialize cethromycin as a novel antimalarial drug.
Quantum-Biosciences is spearheaded by Nikola Kaludov, PhD, one of the inventors on the “Macrolide Compounds and Their Use in Liver Stage Malaria and Related Disease” patent.
“Malaria is a life-threatening disease. Current malaria prophylaxis drugs are ineffectual against particular stages of the malarial life cycle allowing parasite escape, survival and eventual development of resistance towards these drugs. There is an urgent need for new safe and efficacious prophylaxis and therapeutic antimalarial drugs, especially with new mechanisms of action and potency against all life stages of the malarial parasite” said Dr. Kaludov. “Cethromycin is a new broad-spectrum antibiotic with potent activity against Gram(+) and Gram(-) pathogens. In Phase III clinical trials it was shown to be equivalent to existing pneumonia drugs with a good safety profile in more than 5000 persons. Furthermore, cethromycin is eliminated via the liver rather than the kidney and is predicted to have higher liver levels than plasma levels. The favorable pharmacokinetics of cethromycin predict activity against human liver malaria and thus suitability for malaria prevention and possibly prevention of relapsing vivax/ovale malaria.”
Quantum-Biosciences will enter into licensing negotiations with Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures immediately to secure the rights to develop and commercialize cethromycin.
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