RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that dosing has begun in a Phase 1 clinical study of VT-1161, an oral, potent and selective antifungal agent. VT-1161 is a novel small molecule discovered by Viamet Pharmaceuticals using its proprietary Metallophile® Technology. VT-1161 has been shown in preclinical studies to potently inhibit a wide range of fungal pathogens causing human disease, while maintaining a very significant safety margin. The initial Phase 1 study, a single-ascending dose trial in healthy volunteers, is currently being conducted in the United States.
“We are very excited that VT-1161 has begun the clinical stage of development,” said Robert Schotzinger, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Viamet. “There is a surprising lack of novel compounds in development to treat fungal infections in humans. Current antifungal therapies suffer to varying degrees from a lack of antifungal spectrum, poor safety profiles (e.g., liver toxicity, drug interactions), and lack of flexible dosing strategies. In preclinical studies, VT-1161 has been shown to be one of the most potent antifungal agents ever discovered against a wide range of pathogenic fungi which cause diseases such as invasive candidiasis and onychomycosis. However, despite its high potency, VT-1161 has also exhibited a very impressive safety and pharmacokinetic profile.”
VT-1161 is one of several small molecule agents currently under development at Viamet Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of fungal infections in humans. VT-1129 is a potent and safe, oral, preclinical development candidate for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. Several additional molecules are in early-stage development for the treatment of invasive mold infections.
About Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.viamet.com)
Viamet discovers and develops novel, best-in-class inhibitors of key metalloenzymes via an innovative and proprietary metal-binding approach, the Metallophile® Technology. Viamet’s disruptive Metallophile® Technology is based on our leading expertise in bioinorganic chemistry and metalloenzymes and allows Viamet to identify metalloenzyme targets with high therapeutic and commercial potential, leverage existing metalloenzyme inhibitors as the basis for our novel analogs, and rapidly generate superior compounds by optimizing the metal-binding component of existing inhibitors. Utilizing our Metallophile® Technology, Viamet has been able to rapidly discover and develop safe and effective compounds that address key unmet medical needs in the areas of oncology and infectious disease.