Product Summaries

SQ109 THERAPEUTIC

Status: Phase 2 clinical trials

Background: Developed in partnership with the NIH, SQ109 is a new diamine anti-TB drug. It could replace one or more drugs of the existing first-line TB drugs in intensive phase regimen of the WHO-recommended Directly Observed Therapy (DOT).

Product Profile: SQ109 is a small molecule anti-TB drug with a novel structure and mode of action identified from a library of over 63,000 compounds.  SQ109 has the following properties:

• Orally bioavailable, concentrates in lung and spleen

• Long half-life

• High potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro and in vivo

• Effective as a single drug in murine models of TB infection at 10 mg/kg

• Effective against profoundly drug-resistant TB in vitro

• Has a high degree of specificity for Mycobacteria

• Exhibits synergistic activity with the first-line drugs Rifampicin and Isoniazid in vitro and in vivo.

• Shortens treatment time to cure by 25% in experimental animal models of TB

R&D Milestones:  SQ109 has completed R&D Milestones. The IND was filed with the U.S. FDA in August 2006. Phase 1 clinical trials completed in 2009. Phase 2 clinical trials in TB are ongoing, and Phase 2 clinical trials in H. pylori will soon begin.

Market Opportunity:  For more information, please see our SQ109 Backgrounder.

SQ609 THERAPEUTIC

Status: IND-directed pre-clinical toxicology and pharmacology

Background: The drug discovery program at Sequella identified a new class of antibiotic compounds, dipiperidines, with promising in vitro and in vivo anti-TB activity.  SQ609 was identified as a lead candidate in this series. 

Product Profile Attributes: 

• Potent in vitro activity against M. tuberculosis

• Kills M. tuberculosis by interfering with cell wall biosynthesis

• Low in vitro toxicity in cultured mammalian cells

• Orally bioavailable

• Antimicrobial activity in vivo in two different mouse models of TB

• Significantly prolongs therapeutic effect after the withdrawal of drug therapy in mice

• Favorable in vitro safety pharmacology profile

• Has antiviral activity against SARS in vitro.

For more information, please see our SQ609 Backgrounder.

Capuramycin Analogs

Status: Formulation Development

Background: Sequella is developing a class of semi-synthetic, nucleoside-based capuramycin analogs that are quickly, and highly active against target bacteria, making the antibiotic highly effective in preventing the development of drug-resistant mutants in vitro.

Product Profile Attributes:

• excellent activity against Clostridium difficile

• excellent in vitro activity against M. avium complex (MAC) bacteria including M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis, M. abscessus, and M. kansasii.

Please contact Sequella for information available under confidential agreement.