Helicase-primase inhibitors for the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections - patent evaluation of WO2023/225162 from Gilead Sciences Inc.

Helicase-primase is an interesting target for small-molecule therapy of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. With amenamevir already approved for varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex in Japan and with pritelivir's granted breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant HSV infections in immunocompromised patients, the target has sparked interest in helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs). Here, we analyze the first patent application from Gilead in this field, which pursued a me-too approach combining elements from an old Bayer together with a recent Medshine HPI application (which covers the Phaeno Therapeutics drug candidate HN0037). The asset was contributed to Assembly Biosciences, where it is under development as ABI-1179 at the investigational new drug (IND) enabling stage for high-recurrence genital herpes. A structure proposal for indolinoyl derivative ABI-1179 is presented, showing its potential opportunities and limitations compared to other HPIs.