DDU384: A new preclinical candidate for the treatment of Tuberculosis

DDU384 shows outstanding in vivo efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in murine models, including significant treatment-shortening potential in a disease relapse model.

• Why it matters: Current drug-susceptible tuberculosis therapies have been largely unchanged for over 50 years and are significantly flawed, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes an estimated 1.2 million deaths in 2024.
• What they did: DDU384 was developed from a phenotypic growth-inhibition hit by synthetic chemistry aimed at improving metabolic stability and aqueous solubility, then tested as a single agent and in combination studies.
• The result: DDU384’s efficacy in relapse models suggests potential to improve current TB treatment options, and it is now undergoing definitive toxicology studies before first-in-human evaluation.