Cyclin-dependent kinase 12, a novel drug target for visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) causes significant mortality and morbidity in many parts of the world. There is an urgent need for the development of new, effective treatments for this disease. We describe the development of a novel anti-leishmanial drug-like chemical series based on a pyrazolopyrimidine scaffold. The leading compound from this series (7, DDD853651/GSK3186899) is efficacious in a mouse model of VL, has suitable physicochemical, pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties for further development and has been declared a preclinical candidate. Detailed mode of action studies indicate that compounds from this series act principally by inhibiting the parasite cdc-2-related kinase 12 (CRK12), thus defining a novel, druggable, target for VL.