Researchers from University of Georgia Report Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Antimalarial Agents [Enantioselective Synthesis of...].

Researchers from the University of Georgia have developed a new antimalarial agent called l-BHDU. This compound has shown promising activity against the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and could potentially be used to treat chickenpox, shingles, and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections. The researchers have also developed a prodrug of l-BHDU, called POM-l-BHDU-MP, which has demonstrated enhanced pharmacokinetic and antiviral properties. The synthesis of l-BHDU and its prodrug was achieved through an efficient and practical methodology that eliminates the need for expensive chiral chromatography. This research provides new avenues for the development and study of nucleosides derived from l- & d-dioxolane. [Extracted from the article]