Future Target Markets
Our drug candidates have broad market potential with applications in tuberculosis, candidiasis, SARS, bacterial pneumonia, and a number of other infectious diseases.
Candidiasis
Candida are commensal fungal organisms that colonize the normal GI tract and sometimes the skin. Infections due to Candida sp account for about 80% of all major systemic fungal infections. Candida is now the fourth most prevalent organism in bloodstream infections and most common cause of fungal infections in immunocompromised people.
Treatment
Sequella is developing a new class of diamine antifungals that may be useful for treatment of Candida albicans and other Candida species.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic, long-term inflammation of the digestive tract. It usually involves the terminal part of the small intestine, the beginning of the large intestine (cecum), and the area around the anus. The inflammation causes uncomfortable and bothersome symptoms and may produce serious damage to the digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease is sometimes called regional enteritis or ileitis. In the U.S., the incidence (number of new cases) and prevalence (number of people who have the disease) have increased steadily during the last 50 years. About 7 of every 100,000 people in this country have Crohn’s disease. These are among the highest rates in the world. The incidence is about 1-3 per 100,000 in southern Europe, South Africa, and Australia. There is increasing evidence that the etiologic agent(s) of Crohn’s Disease are bacterial.
Treatment
Sequella is scanning its extensive diamine compound library to identify a compound class with activity against a putative etiologic agent of Crohn’s Disease, a member of family of bacteria related to M. tuberculosis.
SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARS was recognized as a global threat in March 2003, after first appearing in Southern China in November 2002. Over the next few months, the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Although the 2003 global outbreak was contained, it is possible that person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV might recur.
Treatment
Sequella is developing a new class of antibiotics, dipiperidines, one member of which, SQ609, was tested at the NIH and demonstrated activity against SARS in vitro.
Bacterial Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by bacteria or a virus. Fungus also can cause pneumonia. Pneumonia affects millions of people each year in the U.S. Bacterial pneumonias tend to be the most serious and, in adults, the most common cause of pneumonia. The most common pneumonia-causing bacterium in adults is Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Treatment
Sequella is developing a new class of drugs called Translocase Inhibitors, for the potential treatment of bacterial Pneumonia and TB.