• Candida auris (C. auris) is a dangerous drug-resistant fungal pathogen emerging in U.S. hospitals
• Tafenoquine's presumed mode of action against C. auris is differentiated from standard of care treatment
• Monash University will conduct the studies beginning in second quarter of 2024
  

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company," "60P" or "60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals") (NASDAQ:SXTP, SXTPW))))), specialists in developing and marketing medicines for infectious diseases, today announced it will, through its majority-owned subsidiary 60P Australia Pty Ltd, sponsor a series of animal studies to investigate whether single dose parenteral administration of tafenoquine exhibits efficacy against Candida spp, including Candida auris (C. auris). C. auris, a strain of fungal yeast, is an emerging pathogen that poses risk of serious infection in the bloodstream and elsewhere, especially in hospitalized patients.

The study will be conducted by Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, beginning in the second quarter of 2024. Results are expected by the end of 2024.

Tafenoquine is the active ingredient in an anti-malarial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 and is indicated for the prophylaxis of malaria in patients aged 18 years of age and older.

"The rapid transmission of Candida auris in healthcare facilities is a very real threat and the need for a safe, effective treatment option is becoming more urgent every day," said 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer and President, Geoff Dow. "This important study could certainly yield valuable insights into how tafenoquine may be used toward that end. We are pleased to serve as the study sponsor working with Monash University and look forward to reviewing results in coming months."

"It is well known that Candida auris can cause severe illness in hospitalized patients," said Professor Anton Peleg, a Professor at Central Clinical School, Monash University, and the principal investigator for the studies. "Even more concerning is the fact that many strains of this fungal infection are now completely resistant to currently available therapies. We are optimistic that the results of our study using tafenoquine will point the way toward development of a new treatment to address this clear, unmet medical need."

The journal, New Microbes and New Infections recently published non-clinical study results showing tafenoquine exhibits broad spectrum antifungal activity against several species of Candida, including C. auris, within in vitro broth culture. That research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Like other 8-aminoquinoline antimalarials, tafenoquine is expected to kill fungi by disrupting cellular responses to oxidative stress, differentiating it from other antifungals.