MMV has announced a call for drug discovery proposals

1. Compounds addressing the key priorities of the malaria eradication agenda

Novel families of molecules in the hit-to-lead or lead optimization stages are sought without G6PD deficiency liabilities that either:

Kill or reactivate hypnozoites for use as part of a P. vivax radical cure; or have activity against sexual stage V gametocytes and evidence of transmission blocking in SMFA.

2. Compounds having activity against asexual liver and/or blood stages

Novel chemical series with EC50<500nM and which have one or more of the following key features:

A known, novel mechanism of action; An inability to select resistant mutants in vitro; Activity at more than one life-cycle stage; A long half-life (ideally >4h in rodents) and confirmed in vivo efficacy. For advanced series, we are seeking novel compounds with, ideally, a predicted human half-life >100h and a predicted oral single human dose <500mg or an i.m. dose that can be administered in <1mL and sufficient for up to 3 months’ protection in humans.

3. Novel approaches for screening

To help identify new phenotypic and/ or target based hits, as well as confirm activity of MMV compounds on all human malaria asexual blood stages, new screening proposals are sought amongst the three categories below:

Validated Plasmodium target-based assays, ideally with evidence of target essentiality beyond asexual blood stages. Biological validation should be supported by a biological target based screening assay suited for identification of novel chemical series. Novel whole cell phenotypic screening paradigms to potentially identify new relevant chemistry. Asexual blood stage assays for vivax and ovale malaria.

Compounds for Target Identification

MMV also welcomes requests for support to investigate the mechanism of action of compounds:

Call for African proposals

Finally, MMV welcomes proposals from endemic region African scientists focused in the following priority areas:

1. Compounds with confirmed activity on any antimalarial life-cycle stage. Novel families of molecules with confirmed activity (EC50 < 10uM) and a medicinal chemistry plan that tackles any known or anticipated liability. Priority will be given to proposals that maximize use of local natural products.

2. Assay development and screening