Jomaa Pharmaka

Jomaa Pharmaka was a German biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel anti-infective agents targeting the non-mevalonate (MEP) pathway. Founded by Professor Hassan Jomaa, the company pioneered the use of fosmidomycin as a treatment for malaria and bacterial infections by inhibiting the DXR enzyme, which is essential for pathogens but absent in humans. The company's lead programs involved evaluating fosmidomycin in combination with other agents like clindamycin and artesunate to overcome drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Although the company reached late-stage clinical testing, it ceased operations following the death of its founder in 2011. Its research remains a foundational contribution to the field of isoprenoid biosynthesis as a therapeutic target.