Recent advances on patents of Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) inhibitors as antimalarial agents.

Introduction: Pyrimidine nucleotides are essential for the parasite's growth and replication. Parasites have only a de novo pathway for the biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) enzyme is involved in the rate-limiting step of the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. DHODH is a biochemical target for the discovery of new antimalarial agents.

Area covered: This review discussed the development of patented PfDHODH inhibitors published between 2007 and 2023 along with their chemical structures and activities.

Expert opinion: PfDHODH enzyme is involved in the rate-limiting fourth step of the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Thus, inhibition of PfDHODH using species-selective inhibitors has drawn much attention for treating malaria because they inhibit parasite growth without affecting normal human functions. Looking at the current scenario of antimalarial drug resistance with most of the available antimalarial drugs, there is a huge need for targeted newer agents. Newer agents with unique mechanisms of action may be devoid of drug toxicity, adverse effects, and the ability of parasites to quickly gain resistance, and PfDHODH inhibitors can be those newer agents. Many PfDHODH inhibitors were patented in the past, and the dependency of Plasmodium on de novo pyrimidine provided a new approach for the development of novel antimalarial agents.