Patent prospects toward therapeutics and diagnostics of anthrax.

Anthrax is one of the deadly infectious disease as documented in the CDC website. In spite of the availability of appropriate antimicrobial agents, the mortality related with the anthrax remains high. The pathogenicity of B. anthracis is mainly accredited to the two foremost components: toxins and capsule. Virulence component of B. anthracis includes protective antigen (PA) which plays a vital role in pathogenesis, virulence protein edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). This search for novel therapeutic strategies that attack the proteins involved in the pathogenesis of anthrax and may potentially supplement antimicrobials being investigated. Currently, extensive attempts are in progress to develop novel helpful therapies to all of the virulence components: lethal factor, protective antigen, edema factor and the capsule of B. anthracis. This review discusses the potential anthrax therapeutic, prophylactic measures and diagnostic applications based on recent patents' prospects.