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Research collection

Antiviral & infectious disease

6 compounds · 10 indexed papers

Enfuvirtide

Approved drug

T-20 · Fuzeon

The first HIV fusion inhibitor and a landmark demonstration that a synthetic peptide can block a viral entry machine. Included as a benchmark for what rigorous peptide drug evidence looks like.

YTSLIHSLIEESQNQQEKNEQELLELDKWASLWNWF

FDA-approved 2003 and EMA-approved for treatment-experienced, drug-resistant HIV-1. Not relevant to sport doping.

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Colistin

Approved drug

Polymyxin E

In clinical use since the 1950s and revived as a last-resort agent against carbapenem-resistant organisms. Dosing is complicated by nephrotoxicity, and plasmid-borne mcr genes now spread resistance.

Cyclic decapeptide with Dab residues and a fatty-acyl tail (colistin A/B mixture)

FDA- and EMA-approved under older approvals. Classified by WHO as a critically important, reserve-line antimicrobial.

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Polymyxin B

Approved drug

PMB

Decades of clinical use as last-line intravenous therapy against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections, with pharmacology well described. Comparative superiority over colistin has not been established.

Cyclic decapeptide closely related to colistin, with D-Phe in place of D-Leu

FDA- and EMA-approved; reserved for multidrug-resistant infections.

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Daptomycin

Approved drug

Cubicin

Randomised trials support use in complicated skin and soft-tissue infection and in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and right-sided endocarditis, including methicillin-resistant strains.

Cyclic lipopeptide of 13 residues including kynurenine and ornithine, with a decanoyl tail

FDA-approved in 2003 and EMA-approved for complicated skin infections and S. aureus bacteraemia.

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Teixobactin

Animal / in-vitro only

iChip-derived depsipeptide antibiotic

The 2015 discovery paper reported strong activity against MRSA and vancomycin-resistant enterococci in vitro and in mouse infection models, with no detectable resistance at the time. It has not entered human trials, and later work has described some resistance mechanisms.

Cyclic depsipeptide of 11 residues including L-allo-enduracididine; not expressible in one-letter code

Not approved. Preclinical development stage.

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Pexiganan

Human trials (limited)

MSI-78 · magainin analogue

Multiple phase 3 randomised trials compared pexiganan cream against oral ofloxacin or placebo in mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers. Results were not sufficient for approval, making this a well-studied antimicrobial peptide that nonetheless failed to reach market.

GIGKFLKKAKKFGKAFVKILKK-NH2

Not approved. The FDA declined approval on multiple occasions, most recently in 2017.

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