Anti-Malarial Research Continues with Grant

BOSTON - Paratek Pharmaceuticals has received a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to research novel tetracycline derivatives for activity against Plasmodium falciparum.

"Doxycycline, a form of tetracycline, has been used against malaria for years, both to treat and prevent malaria," says Ken Takana, PHD, Paratek's vice president of research and development. "We want to add new tetracyclines to the public health arsenal that offer improvements over doxycycline and other current therapies."

The company has a variety of research interests, including antimalarial drugs. Officials are examining the non-antibiotic properties of tetracyclines as antifungals, anti-inflammatories, neuroprotectives and other applications.

It is estimated that malaria infects 300 million globally, killing more than 1 million annually.

For more information, visit: www.paratekpharm.com.