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Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. Exposure may result in primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rapidly fatal infection for which there are currently no established therapies. In this study, previously developed high-throughput screening methods were used to identify agents that inhibit the growth of free-living amoebae.
Using of a collection of 1134 FDA-approved drugs, investigators identified 20 compounds with in vitro activity, including the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin (the most potent inhibitor) and the triazole antifungals itraconazole and posaconazole. A second assay examined 400 drugs and probe-like molecules and found 13 inhibitory agents. Among these, posaconazole was the mo…