tcsc2266 Ethionamide

Ethionamide(2-ethylthioisonicotinamide) is an antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Target: Antibacterial

Ethionamide is a second-line antitubercular agent that inhibits mycolic acid synthesis. It also may be used for treatment of leprosy. Ethionamide is a prodrug. It is activated by the enzyme EthA, a mono-oxygenase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and binds NAD+ to form an adduct which inhibits InhA in the same way as isoniazid. Expression of the ethA gene is controlled by EthR, a transcriptional repressor. It is understood that improving ethA expression will increase the efficacy of ethionamide and so EthR inhibitors are of great interest to co-drug developers. The action may be through disruption of mycolic acid [1, 2].