FOCUS on Drug Repurposing. Moxidectin is an anthelmintic drug approved by the FDA in 2018 for onchocerciasis (river-blindness). It is a derivative of milbemycin, a structurally novel macrolide natural product. The milbemycin class of compounds includes ivermectin, doramectin, and abamectin among others. Recently, researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center demonstrated that Moxidectin inhibited the proliferation of glioblastoma cell lines and induced apoptosis. Oral administration suppressed the growth of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors by 90% in an intracranial tumor model. Mechanistic studies revealed that Moxidectin ultimately blocked nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD complex in GBM cells. These results seem to indicate that Moxidectin may have potential as a new therapeutic agent for GBM.
