TY  - JOUR
AU  - Hughes, Walter
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/12/06
TI  - Reminiscence from Half a Century of Anti-<em>Pneumocystis</em> Drug Discovery and Development
JO  - OBM Genetics
SP  - 052
VL  - 02
IS  - 04
AB  - Experiences with Pneumocystis carinii and Pneumocystis jirovecii over the past one-half century are recounted. Circumstances threatening the lives of children with fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in 1969 led to discovery of the anti-P. carinii activity of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole  in the laboratory. This was followed by clinical trials that culminated in a scheme of chemoprophylaxis and treatment of PCP that has served as the standard of practice for over 40 years. Two additional drugs, dapsone and atovaquone, were similarly identified and developed and have served as alternatives to TMP-SMZ for 30 and 25 years, respectively. In recent times, several million people worldwide receive chemoprophylaxis and treatment for PCP and this population is expected to increase. Despite the discovery of many new drugs effective against Pneumocystis sp. in the laboratory, none has received FDA  approval for clinical use within the past 25 years. Opportunities for translational studies to advance these discoveries, and others, to clinical application are discussed.
SN  - 2577-5790
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.genet.1804052
DO  - 10.21926/obm.genet.1804052
ID  - Hughes2018
ER  -