Anti-infectives Developed as Racemic Drugs in the 21st Century: Norm or Exception?
Diego González Cabrera1, Dennis A Smith2, Gregory S Basarab1
1Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters
|July 19, 2023
Summary
Developing new chemical entities (NCEs) as racemates is a viable strategy for infectious disease therapeutics. This approach can reduce manufacturing costs, making anti-infective drugs more accessible in endemic regions.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Drug Development
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Developing new chemical entities (NCEs) for infectious diseases presents unique challenges.
- Cost-effective manufacturing is crucial for anti-infective therapeutics, especially in endemic areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for the development of new chemical entities (NCEs) as racemates.
- To highlight the potential benefits of racemic drug development in infectious disease therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- This viewpoint discusses the rationale for developing NCEs as racemates.
- It considers scenarios where both enantiomers and the racemate exhibit similar pharmacological profiles.
- Regulatory considerations for racemic drug development are examined.
Main Results:
- Racemic drug development faces no major regulatory impediments.
- Similar on- and off-target activities and pharmacokinetic profiles can be maintained with racemates.
- Minimizing manufacturing costs is a key objective for anti-infective drugs.
Conclusions:
- Developing NCEs as racemates is a practical and potentially cost-saving strategy for infectious disease treatments.
- This approach can enhance the accessibility of anti-infective therapies in resource-limited settings.
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