aureobasidin A derivatives

Aureobasidin A derivatives are a class of cyclic depsipeptide antifungal compounds being developed by AureoGen Biosciences for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant pathogens such as *Aspergillus fumigatus*. These compounds are semi-synthetic analogs of aureobasidin A, a natural product isolated from the fungus *Aureobasidium pullulans*. The derivatives are designed to overcome the limited activity of the parent compound against certain molds. They exert their antifungal effect by inhibiting inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase, an enzyme essential for fungal sphingolipid biosynthesis that has no mammalian counterpart, thus offering a selective therapeutic target. AureoGen utilizes a proprietary iridium-catalyzed borylation process to modify the phenylalanine residues of the cyclic peptide core. In 2016, Merck entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with AureoGen for the development of these derivatives, which are currently in the preclinical stage.

Other names

Aureobasidin A derivatives