Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare but fatal central nervous system (CNS) disease caused by the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri. A major obstacle is the requirement for drugs with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which are used in extremely high doses, cause severe side effects, and are usually ineffective. We discovered that the 4-aminomethylphenoxy-benzoxaborole AN3057 exhibits nanomolar potency against N. fowleri, and experimental treatment of infected mice significantly prolonged survival and demonstrated a 28% relapse-free cure rate.
Keywords: Naegleria fowleri; amoeba; antiparasitic; oxaborole; primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.