The antimalarial ferroquine: from bench to clinic

Abstract

Ferroquine (FQ, SSR97193) is currently the most advanced organometallic drug candidate and about to complete phase II clinical trials as a treatment for uncomplicated malaria. This ferrocenecontaining compound is active against both chloroquine-susceptible and chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax strains and/or isolates. This article focuses on the discovery of FQ, its antimalarial activity, the hypothesis of its mode of action, the current absence of resistance in vitro and recent clinical trials.

Keywords

• malaria
• bioorganometallics
• drug candidate
• ferroquine
• mechanism of action
• resistance