From left, NMT’s Dr. Snezna Rogelj congratulates her colleague and co-inventor for the new drug, Dr. Danielle Turner M.D., Ph.D., at her recent medical school graduation.

New Mexico Tech recently received its latest patent, US# 12,029,728, titled “Small Molecules with Anti-Protozoan Activities,” to treat tropical diseases. An international team of investigators—led by NMT’s Dr. Snezna Rogelj and then-New Mexico Tech doctoral student Dr. Danielle Turner, along with Dr. Ivy Hurwitz from University of New Mexico Center for Global Health, and Dr. Alexander V. Aksenov from North Caucasus Federal University in Russia—developed a compound that adds a new dimension to previously NMT-patented anti-cancer properties, fights severe protozoan infections, and can be administered orally.

The drug addresses severe protozoan infections, including Chagas disease (i.e. trypanosomiasis, transmitted by infected blood-sucking triatomine bugs); toxoplasmosis (caused by a common parasite found in raw meat and cat feces); leishmaniasis (caused by a protozoan parasite transmitted through sandfly bites), and malaria (an infection spread by mosquitos). Dr. Rogelj, Professor of Biology, said that the drug’s mechanism involves triggering of an intracellular immune response that effectively targets and clears these infections without damaging the host cell.

“Our drug can be delivered orally,” Dr. Rogelj continued. “This is of huge value as most of the patients are among the poorest of the poor in the world and do not have access to injectable treatments. We are now looking to license this IP (intellectual property) and develop it further, hoping to eventually make it available to millions that could benefit worldwide.”

Dr. Hurwitz generated initial critical data regarding malarial and leishmanial pathogens, Dr. Rogelj explained, while Dr. Aksenov synthesized the compounds that formed the basis of the study.

Three-time NMT graduate Dr. Turner provided “invaluable technical contributions and extensive hands-on research” conducted as a Biology M.S. and then Ph.D. student in biotechnology at NMT; this “amounted to an extraordinary experimental feat with great potential to treat these deadly diseases,” Dr. Rogelj said.

Dr. Turner went on to receive an M.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. “Her tireless commitment has been instrumental in bringing this innovative solution to fruition,” said Dr. Rogelj. “She’s truly a remarkable woman with phenomenal dedication to these worldwide infectious diseases.”

This is the 10^th patent granted to Dr. Rogelj while at NMT. Others relate to novel anti-cancer drugs and antibiotics targeting multi-drug-resistant pathogens.

NMT counts more than 60 patents and patents-pending worldwide.