GSK692 is an antimalarial compound with a novel mode of action which enables it to kill the malaria parasite quickly. Its overall properties indicate it could form part of a singledose cure and it has a low propensity to generate resistance in laboratory studies as well as activity against current drug-resistant strains – key attributes for a next-generation antimalarial. In recognition of this, the GSK692 project team has won MMV’s 2015 Project of the Year award and MMV’s External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) has approved the compound as a clinical candidate for further research.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and MMV have worked in a productive and open collaboration on malaria drug discovery for several years. GSK’s facility at Tres Cantos in Spain houses one of MMV’s centres of excellence for screening and testing new compounds in biological assays, transmission-blocking models and parasite-killing studies. It is expected that further clinical candidates will emerge from the MMV/GSK collaboration in the future – following in the footsteps of GSK692.

→ Go to an interview with Dr Paul Willis and Dr Laura Sanz. They talk about the award, the compound and the collaboration.