Tarocin

Tarocin is a small molecule inhibitor of the bacterial enzyme TarO, currently in preclinical development by Prokaryotics. It is designed to treat complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), particularly those caused by fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-resistant) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacterial isolates. TarO (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:undecaprenyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase) is the enzyme responsible for the first committed step in the biosynthesis of wall teichoic acids (WTA), which are critical components of the cell wall in many pathogenic bacteria. By inhibiting TarO, Tarocin disrupts the assembly of the bacterial cell wall, which can sensitize resistant bacteria to other antibiotics or directly impair bacterial fitness. The program has received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to support its early-stage development and is being positioned to address multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections.

Other names

TarO inhibitorβ-lactam borftezomib