SCYNEXIS a biotechnology company delivering innovative therapies for difficult-to-treat and often life-threatening infections, announced that the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Non-proprietary Name (INN) group has assigned the generic name "ibrexafungerp" for its lead candidate SCY-078, the first representative of a novel oral and intravenous (IV) triterpenoid antifungal family.

SCYNEXIS is developing ibrexafungerp for the treatment of multiple serious fungal infections, including vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), invasive candidiasis (IC), invasive aspergillosis (IA) and refractory invasive fungal infections.

"For nearly two decades, only three drug classes have encompassed all FDA-approved antifungal treatments. Ibrexafungerp has the potential to represent the first new antifungal class approved since 2001, providing unique benefits of critical importance given the rapidly rising rates of antifungal resistance to many standards of care therapies," said Marco Taglietti, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of SCYNEXIS.

The INN system was established to facilitate the identification of pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients in a unique, globally-recognized manner. Obtaining a non-proprietary, or generic, name is a required step in bringing a new drug to market. Generic names of pharmacologically-related substances demonstrate their relationship by using a common "stem," allowing medical practitioners and pharmacists to recognize substances having similar pharmacological activity.

This is important for the clear identification, safe prescription and dispensing of medicines to patients. The generic name ibrexafungerp includes a new stem, "-fungerp," which indicates that SCY-078 is unlike any previously-approved drug, and reflects its first-in-class nature.