Status: The nitroimidazoles are a well-known class of antibacterial and antiprotozoal drugs. Despite their widespread clinical and veterinary use, this family of drugs has been stigmatized, partly due to associated genotoxicity problems.
DNDi, through extensive compound mining efforts, was able to develop anti-trypanosomal active and non-genotoxic molecules belonging to a new class of nitroimidazoles: 1-aryl-4-nitro-1H-imidazoles. In parallel, DNDi accessed another very promising non-genotoxic nitroimidazole library from the Global Alliance for Tuberculosis Drug Development (TB Alliance). Approximately one thousand analogues belonging to this series have been tested at Scynexis against T. brucei. Several active molecules have been identified and further assessments are ongoing at the University of Auckland, Scynexis, and Pace University. Efforts for the identification of pre-clinical candidates within the nitroimidazole class will continue.