THE CHALLENGE
The global burden of invasive fungal infections presents a significant business and healthcare challenge, driven by high morbidity, mortality, and a shrinking pool of effective treatments. The market is constrained by the limited number of antifungal drug classes, with frontline therapies like amphotericin B hindered by severe dose-dependent nephrotoxicity that prevents achieving plasma concentrations necessary to treat resistant strains. At the same time, multidrug-resistant pathogens, particularly Candida auris, are rapidly emerging, with some isolates showing resistance to all available antifungals, creating an urgent need for innovative solutions. Current approaches, including lipid-based formulations, have only partially mitigated toxicity, highlighting a clear opportunity for products that can potentiate existing drugs, reduce doses, and improve safety and efficacy. Developing such solutions not only addresses a critical unmet medical need but also opens a high-value market for safer, more effective antifungal therapies in an environment of growing resistance and limited treatment options.
OUR SOLUTION
We offer a novel combination therapy that pairs amphotericin B, a gold-standard antifungal, with idebenone, a clinically approved coenzyme Q10 analog, to tackle the growing threat of multidrug-resistant fungal infections, including Candida auris. By leveraging the synergistic fungicidal effects of this combination, our approach restores the effectiveness of amphotericin B at lower, safer doses, potentially reducing its severe nephrotoxicity while maintaining strong antifungal activity. This strategy not only overcomes resistance in challenging fungal strains but also provides a cost-effective, orally bioavailable, and broadly applicable treatment option. From a business perspective, this technology addresses a high-value unmet medical need, offering a differentiated product with the potential to capture markets constrained by limited antifungal options and rising drug resistance, while improving patient outcomes in both developed and resource-limited healthcare settings.
Figure: Overview of the invention.
Advantages:
Potential Application: