Technology
Imagine one drug to cure any infection by mimicking the human immune system
The human immune system uses antimicrobial peptides. Maxwell's Claromers are like a synthetic immune system in that Claromers are small molecules that we make in a lab that mimic the functions of the human body's own antimicrobial peptides.
Maxwell’s technology turns “One Drug, One Bug” into an outdated anthem.
A Synthetic Immune System
Maxwell’s CLAROMER® brand next gen anti-infectives safely destroy a broad spectrum of bacteria, fungi and viruses, as shown in preclinical animal studies and imaging confirmation of all three types of pathogens.
Over a decade of published academic articles illustrate selective targeting of pathogens by Maxwell’s product candidates.
In vivo safety data in human tissue and animal models (confirmed in collaboration with universities and independent labs) show that CLAROMER® brand anti-infectives are well tolerated in vivo at 1,000 µg/mL concentration when injected under the skin; whereas, preclinical studies indicate activity against viruses starting at 7 µg/mL concentration. This is a potentially optimal therapeutic window for the subcutaneous treatment of viral infections in humans.
Maxwell’s CLAROMER® brand anti-infectives are a completely new drug class. They have the stability and potency of small molecules; yet the powerful dynamic functions of peptides.
Claromers are helical small molecules with amphipathic properties designed to mimic the human immune system: anti-inflammatory, high tissue tolerance, biostability, potent against established polymicrobial biofilms and currently untreatable infections.
For the scientists: Maxwell’s drugs are known as “poly-N-substituted glycines” or “antimicrobial peptoids” in the literature. Maxwell’s drugs are synthetic, low molecular weight, sequence-specific oligomer drugs that have shown functional biomimicry of natural alpha-helical cathelicidins. Maxwell’s CLAROMER® brand anti-infectives have been shown in preclinical studies to be self assembling synthetic foldamers that fold like peptides. Widely published quantitative imaging of membrane permeabilization, electron microscopy, and soft X-ray tomography supply visual evidence that both natural antimicrobial peptides, antimicrobial peptoids and Maxwell’s CLAROMER® drug candidates trigger rapid, non-specific disruption of bacterial and viral envelopes, proteins, RNA, and DNA that correlate with irreversible inactivation of pathogens.
Chongsiriwatana, N. P., Lin, J. S., Kapoor, R., Wetzler, M., Rea, J. A., Didwania, M. K., ... & Barron, A. E. (2017). Intracellular biomass flocculation as a key mechanism of rapid bacterial killing by cationic, amphipathic antimicrobial peptides and peptoids. Scientific reports, 7 (1), 1-15.
Ahmed, A., Siman-Tov, G., Hall, G., Bhalla, N., & Narayanan, A. (2019). Human antimicrobial peptides as therapeutics for viral infections. Viruses, 11 (8), 704.
A Pathogen-Agnostic Approach
Maxwell’s CLAROMER® brand anti-infectives function by a novel mechanism of action against pathogen membranes, which includes all enveloped viruses, bacteria, fungi and some forms of cancer cells. Healthy human and mammalian cells are not negatively charged which may play a role in drug candidate selectivity in vivo. Maxwell’s product candidates have been shown in preclinical studies to selectively disrupt the viral envelope membrane, thus removing its ability to infect a cell.
These drugs are selective for pathogen membranes over human cell membranes because human cell membranes have a net neutral charge and other protective characteristics. This mechanism of action appears pharmaceutically unique and demonstrates exciting potential, as both a mode of action and a potential means of counteracting microbial resistance.
