Indore: The fight against malaria received a promising boost as Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) School of Pharmacy‘s Dr Love Kumar Soni, Nidhi Guptaand Dr Gajanand Engla secured from patents for their chemical entity- antimalarial agents.
After a research journey spanning over five years, the trio was recently awarded two patents, numbered 482082 and 483371. The patented compound demonstrated efficacy against Plasmodium falciparum species, the most dangerous strain of malaria parasite. Their effectiveness surpasses that of existing market-available quinine, a significant breakthrough in addressing the alarming rise of drug-resistant malaria strains.
Dr Love Kumar sony and Dr Gajanand Engla are associate and assistant professors respectively at School of Pharmacy, while Nidhi Gupta is a research scholar.
The journey toward patent acquisition was itself a meticulous process, consuming an additional three years. The patent application was initiated in 2021.
In response to the growing challenge of drug resistance observed with conventional anti-malarial drugs like quinine and artemisinin, the research team focused on developing novel compounds. Their compounds, 4-(3-phenoxyphenylideneamino)-5-(6-chloro-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol and 3-(3-mercapto-5- (6-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)-2-(4-isopropylphenyl)-thiazolidin-4-one, demonstrates remarkable efficacy against lethal vector- borne disease.
“This research of five years is the preliminary study. We will be testing our chemical entity further on parasites and testing on safety aspects. We had applied for the patent in 2021 and we were able to secure the patent a few days back,” Dr Soni said.
With DAVV’s NAAC inspection approaching, the authorities feel this achievement can give an upper edge to the university.
