Selected Medicines in Development for Infectious Diseases

Anthrax – The potential for infectious agents to be used in bio-warfare has led to increased research into protecting people from the effects of the infection. Two separate immune globulins are in clinical testing for the treatment of inhalation anthrax. The intravenous post-exposure treatments are hyperimmune antibodies derived from human plasma of individuals who have been vaccinated against anthrax previously.

E. coli Infections – Shiga-toxin E. coli (STEC) bacteria infections are primarily food-born infections that cause serious health implications, especially in young children and the elderly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 70,000 STEC infections occur each year in the U.S. A potential medicine in development is comprised of two monoclonal antibodies designed to bind specifically to the Shigatoxin 1 and Shigatoxin 2 toxins secreted by STEC bacteria. The antibodies, given in a single injection, bind to and neutralize their respective toxin by forming a complex that is absorbed and destroyed by the liver and spleen.

Hepatitis C – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects 180 million people worldwide, including more than 4 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to the CDC, the death toll in the U.S. from hepatitis C will triple in the next 20 years, eclipsing that of AIDS. A potential medicine is in development to treat HCV genotype 1 – the most common and difficult to treat form of HCV – is an inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus NS5B – a virally encoded enzyme that is essential for viral replication.

Impetigo – Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria entering a small break in the skin, such as a cut, scratch or insect bite. It affects approximately 1 million people annually in the United States, primarily infants and children and causes itchy and painful sores. A potential medicine in development is a novel synthetic antimicrobial specifically designed and developed to mimic the body’s natural defense against infection. In clinical trials, the clinical response rate in patients at the end of treatment ranged from 85 percent to 92 percent compared to historical placebo rates of 30–50 percent.

Malaria – Globally, about 275 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year, killing more than 1 million people – about 3,000 people every day, according to the World Health Organization. A novel anti-malarial drug in development has shown activity against Plasmodium falciparum malaria that is resistant or sensitive to chloroquine, a common malaria treatment.

Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Infection – Multi-drug resistance occurs when a bacteria develops the ability to survive exposure to other treatments. The incidence of drug-resistant strains of staphylococcus aureus have recently been on the rise. According to the CDC, more than 90,000 Americans become infected each year with life-threatening drug-resistant staph – methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. A potential medicine in development for the treatment of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections is a unique next-generation aminoglycoside antibacterial with broad-spectrum activity against MDR gram-negative bacteria that cause systemic infections, including highly resistant Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), and MRSA. Aminoglycosides are a well established and effective class of antibacterials that kill the bacteria by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane. Another medicine in development to combat MRSA is in a new class of antibiotics in testing, it has demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and particularly potent activity against gram-positive bacteria that are resistant to conventional antibiotics.

Smallpox – Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, is no longer found in the environment, but is considered a formidable biowarfare threat. A novel treatment in development works by blocking the ability of the virus to spread to other cells and preventing it from causing disease. It is being studied to prevent the disease in non-vaccinated individuals, to treat the disease in non-symptomatic people exposed to smallpox, to treat those with smallpox symptoms, and as an adjuvant to vaccination by combining with smallpox vaccines to prevent disease and reduce vaccine-related complications.

Travelers’ Diarrhea – Diarrhea caused by bacterial infections are the most common illness affecting travelers. Each year, 20 percent to 50 percent of international travelers – an estimated 10 million people – develop diarrhea, according to the CDC. A vaccine in development is based on a sell surface protein derived from Campylobacter jejuni – one of the main causes of travelers’ diarrhea.