Anacor
Encyclopedia
Anacor Pharmaceuticals based in Palo Alto, California
, is a biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel small-molecule therapeutics derived from its boron chemistry platform. Anacor was founded in 2002 based on technology created by Dr. Lucy Shapiro at Stanford University
and Dr. Stephen Benkovic at Pennsylvania State University
. Since then, the company has generated a pipeline of both topical and systemic boron
-based compounds of which five are currently in clinical development.
is a naturally occurring element in the environment, but relative to carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, little research has been done on the role of boron in therapeutics because of the limited understanding of the physical properties necessary to provide boron-based compounds with the attributes required of pharmaceutical therapies as well as difficulty in chemical synthesis
. However, boron has two qualities that give it advantages in the small-molecule drug discovery process. First, boron has a unique geometry
that allows compounds made from it to have two distinct shapes, giving boron-based drugs the ability to interact with biological targets in novel ways and to address targets not amenable to intervention by traditional carbon
-based compounds. And second, boron's enhanced reactivity
as compared to carbon allows the molecules to hit targets that are difficult to inhibit with carbon chemistry.
product candidate for the treatment of onychomycosis
, a fungal infection of the nail and nail bed
. Anacor began its Phase 3 trials in December 2010. AN2690 inhibits an essential fungal enzyme, leucyl-transfer RNA synthetase, or LeuRS, required for protein synthesis. The inhibition of protein synthesis leads to termination of cell growth
and cell death, eliminating the fungal infection. No treatment-related systemic side effect
s have been observed in any of its clinical trials.
and atopic dermatitis
. AN2728 inhibits PDE4 and reduces the production of TNF-alpha, a precursor of the inflammation associated with psoriasis as well as other cytokines, including IL-12 and IL-23, which are proteins believed to be involved in the inflammation process and immune responses. AN2728 is currently in Phase 2b for psoriasis and Phase 2 for atopic dermatitis.
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, is a biopharmaceutical
Biopharmaceutical
Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs produced using biotechnology. They include proteins , nucleic acids and living microorganisms like virus and bacteria where the virulence of viruses and bacteria is reduced by the process of attenuation, they can be used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic...
company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel small-molecule therapeutics derived from its boron chemistry platform. Anacor was founded in 2002 based on technology created by Dr. Lucy Shapiro at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and Dr. Stephen Benkovic at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Since then, the company has generated a pipeline of both topical and systemic boron
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
-based compounds of which five are currently in clinical development.
Boron Chemistry
BoronBoron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
is a naturally occurring element in the environment, but relative to carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, little research has been done on the role of boron in therapeutics because of the limited understanding of the physical properties necessary to provide boron-based compounds with the attributes required of pharmaceutical therapies as well as difficulty in chemical synthesis
Chemical synthesis
In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions to get a product, or several products. This happens by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions...
. However, boron has two qualities that give it advantages in the small-molecule drug discovery process. First, boron has a unique geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
that allows compounds made from it to have two distinct shapes, giving boron-based drugs the ability to interact with biological targets in novel ways and to address targets not amenable to intervention by traditional carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
-based compounds. And second, boron's enhanced reactivity
Reactivity
Reactivity in chemistry refers to* the chemical reactions of a single substance,* the chemical reactions of two or more substances that interact with each other,* the systematic study of sets of reactions of these two kinds,...
as compared to carbon allows the molecules to hit targets that are difficult to inhibit with carbon chemistry.
AN2690
AN2690 is a topical antifungalAntifungal
* Antifungal medication, a medication used to treat fungal infection s such as athlete's foot , ringworm, candidiasis, etc.* Antifungal protein, a protein family* an adjective referring to a fungicide compound...
product candidate for the treatment of onychomycosis
Onychomycosis
Onychomycosis means fungal infection of the nail. It is the most common disease of the nails and constitutes about a half of all nail abnormalities....
, a fungal infection of the nail and nail bed
Nail bed
Nail bed can refer to:* Bed of nails, a device sometimes used in meditation and physics demonstrations* Bed of nails tester, a device used to test printed circuit boards* Fingernail region also known as the "quick"...
. Anacor began its Phase 3 trials in December 2010. AN2690 inhibits an essential fungal enzyme, leucyl-transfer RNA synthetase, or LeuRS, required for protein synthesis. The inhibition of protein synthesis leads to termination of cell growth
Cell growth
The term cell growth is used in the contexts of cell development and cell division . When used in the context of cell division, it refers to growth of cell populations, where one cell grows and divides to produce two "daughter cells"...
and cell death, eliminating the fungal infection. No treatment-related systemic side effect
Side effect
In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequences of the use of a drug.Occasionally, drugs are...
s have been observed in any of its clinical trials.
AN2728
AN2728 is a topical anti-inflammatory product candidate for the treatment of psoriasisPsoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...
and atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and pruritic skin disorder...
. AN2728 inhibits PDE4 and reduces the production of TNF-alpha, a precursor of the inflammation associated with psoriasis as well as other cytokines, including IL-12 and IL-23, which are proteins believed to be involved in the inflammation process and immune responses. AN2728 is currently in Phase 2b for psoriasis and Phase 2 for atopic dermatitis.