Scynexis Collaborates With Hackensack Meridian CDI, Johns Hopkins to Develop Therapeutics for Drug-Resistant Fungal Infections

Earlier this month, Jersey City, NJ-based Scynexis announced its partnership with both Hackensack Meridian CDI, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to develop proprietary triterpenoid antifungals from the company’s platform. This is part of a new accelerator consortium led by researchers from CDI and Johns Hopkins, and will contain a 5-year federal grant to establish a Center of Excellence in Translational Research (CETR). This center will contain the aforementioned research centers and other academic and commercial collaborators, and expects to receive about $7 million annually, contingent upon the availability of funds, with the support coming from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). ¹

"We are very pleased to collaborate with this CETR in tackling one of the world’s most pressing health threats," Scynexis CEO David Angulo, MD, said in statement.¹

One of the key aspects of this research will be around resistant fungal infections according to Angulo. “With approximately four million annual deaths attributable to fungal infections globally, this new grant from the NIH provides essential funding to support the development of new therapeutics that can address the growing threat from resistant fungal infections,” he said.

About Triterpenoid Antifungals

Triterpenoid antifungals (fungerps) are a novel class of structurally-distinct glucan synthase inhibitors. These agents combine the well-established activity of glucan synthase inhibitors with the potential flexibility of having oral and intravenous (IV) formulations.

“As part of this research collaboration, we are pleased to note that a series of next-generation fungerp candidates are included, with the aim to progress their development from early preclinical stage to IND ready candidates," Angulo said.¹

In a previous interview with Contagion, Angulo spoke about triterpenoids and its goals for this class of compounds.

Company Antifungal Footprint

The company previously brought its first-generation antifungal, ibrexafungerp (Brexafemme) to market. Ibrexafungerp tablets were FDA approved in June 2021, for its first indication in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), followed by a second indication in November 2022, for reduction in the incidence of recurrent VVC. At the time, it represented the first approved treatment in a novel antifungal class in more than 20 years.²

Also this month, Scynexis completed the transfer of the (ibrexafungerp) New Drug Application (NDA) to GSK. The antifungal has been licensed to GSK.¹

In terms of next steps for the CDI and Hopkins collaboration, Angulo says they have selected a few fungerps “with key attributes including activity against resistant fungi and differentiated pharmacological properties, critical for addressing significant limitations of currently available antifungal armamentarium.”

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References
1. Scynexis Announces Federal Funding of Collaboration Between Hackensack Meridian CDI and Johns Hopkins Researchers to Develop New Therapeutics, Including Novel Fungerps, for Resistant Fungal Infections. Scynexis news release. November 17, 2025. Accessed November 30, 2025.
https://ir.scynexis.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/353/scynexis-announces-federal-funding-of-collaboration-between

2. Parkinson J. FDA Approves Ibrexafungerp. Contagion. June 2, 2021. Accessed November 30, 2025..
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/fda-approves-ibrexafungerp