Anacor Pharmaceuticals has announced a development agreement with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) to develop AN3661 as a treatment of malaria through human proof-of-concept studies.

AN3661 was developed through a research agreement signed by the two parties in April 2010 using Anacor’s boron chemistry.

The drug is the first candidate arising out of the research agreement to move into preclinical development.

MMV chief scientific officer Tim Wells said that the malaria parasite is already showing signs of resistance to current medicines.

“We urgently need to fill the malaria medicine chest with new medicines to treat the millions affected by this disease,” Wells said.