In Vivo and In Vitro Optimization of Screening Antimalarial Hits toward Lead Molecules for Preclinical Development.

In order to overcome one of the greatest challenges in malaria treatment, drug resistance, new drug candidates are urgently needed, which should preferably act via novel mechanisms. Successful optimization of a phenotypic screening hit based on a quinoline-4-carboxamide derivative resulted in the highly promising lead structure 4, which according to the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) met the efficacy and drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) requirements for a malaria drug target candidate and consequently was selected for preclinical development.