Novel iodotyramides with para-substituted benzoic acids were synthesized via electrophilic aromatic substitutions and amide coupling via N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) in dimethylformamide (DMF). All derivatives were in vitro screened against U-937 macrophages and Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania panamensis and Trypanosoma cruzi protozoan parasites. The hemolytic activity was evaluated on human red blood cells (RBC). -methoxyphenethyl)-4-methoxybenzamide were the most active against L. panamensis with an effective concentration 50 (EC 50 ) of 17.9 and 17.5 μg mL -1 , respectively; while compounds N- (3,5-diiodo-4-methoxyphenethyl)-4-methylbenzamide and N-(3,5-diiodo-4-methoxyphenethyl