TGV-inhalonix’s New Therapy Effective Against Resistant Fungal Lung Infections in CF Patients

Researchers at TGV-inhalonix said their company’s drug, Mul-1867, has a powerful effect against clinical isolates of fungi in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and other severe lung infections.

The study “In vitro activity of a novel compound, Mul-1867, against clinically significant fungi Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp.” appeared in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. It will also be presented June 1-5 at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Conference  in New Orleans‎.

“There is an urgent need for new antifungal compounds to treat various types of fungal infections, including pulmonary infections,” researchers wrote. “Fungal infections represent a crucial and unsolved problem for patients with cystic fibrosis, playing a dramatic role in their morbidity.”

The team investigated the action of the novel antimicrobial compound Mul-1867 against two fungi species – Candida and Aspergillus  – isolated from patients with fungal pneumonia, CF and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“The recent increase in the incidence of life-threatening infections caused by resistant fungi, including Candida and Aspergillus, is particularly concerning, because currently available antifungal agents may no longer be effective,” Dr. Haran T. Schlamm, who advises TGV-Inhalonix, said in a press release.

Mul-1867 was found to be highly effective, and at very low concentrations, against susceptible control strains as well as resistant clinical isolates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarded New York-based TGV-inhalonix Orphan Drug Designation for Mul-1867 in 2016.

“We have already confirmed a broad spectrum activity of Mul-1867 against multiresistant bacterial isolates such as S. aureus and P. aeruginosa along with early, compassionate use human clinical data. Its high anti-infective efficacy could make it a breakthrough new agent for addressing a variety of lung infections starting with those in cystic fibrosis patients,” said lead author Dr. George Tetz, who along with Victor Tetz form the scientific core of TGV-inhalonix.

Fungal antibiotic resistance is a serious challenge for people with CF and other infectious lung diseases.

“Our studies indicate that Mul-1867 also holds promise as a treatment against numerous other lung indications with fungal etiology, including HIV, blood malignancies,” said Victor Tetz. “We believe our research has unlocked a key for slowing the growth of these potentially fatal antibiotic-resistant pathogens.”