Synthesis of a strict structural analogue of albaconazole in which the quinazolinone ring is fused by a thiazole moiety led to the discovery of a new triazole with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Compound I exhibited high in vitro activity against pathogenic Candida species and filamentous fungi and showed preliminary in vivo antifungal efficacy in a mice model of systemic candidiasis.KEYWORDS: Candida, Aspergillus, zygomycetes, antifungal agents, azoles, thiazolo[4,5-g]quinazolin-8(7H)-one A zoles (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole) are important drugs for the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFIs), which continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised or severely ill patients. 1 These compounds target the biosynthesis of ergosterol by inhibiting the cytochrome P450-dependent lanosterol 14α-demethylase (Erg11p, CYP51), encoded by the ERG11 gene, resulting in accumulation of toxic methylsterols in membranes that may culminate in fungistatic effect or fungal death. 2 Most azoles are orally active, show a broad-spectrum against most yeasts and filamentous fungi, and are relatively nontoxic. Unfortunately, the increasing number of fungal infections, coupled with emerging resistance, has resulted in a need to develop new, more effective agents. Among these molecules, albaconazole (UR-9825, Palau Pharma S.A., Figure 1) 3 is a new oral triazole antifungal agent with broad-spectrum antifungal activity against resistant and emerging pathogens as compared with fluconazole and itraconazole, good pharmacokinetics, and excellent oral bioavailability. 4 It has demonstrated high in vitro activities against pathogenic yeasts, dermatophytes, and other filamentous fungi and has been shown to be effective in animal models of systemic aspergillosis, candidiasis, cryptococcosis, and scedosporiosis. 4 Albaconazole has been assayed in several clinical trials, including phase I/II studies in candidal vulvovaginitis, tinea pedis, and onychomycosis (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00199264, NCT00509275, and NCT00730405). However, phase III studies are not available until now, and the lack of an intravenous form makes studies in the acute infection setting very difficult. 5 As part of our research program focused on the synthesis and SAR studies of novel broad-spectrum antifungal agents, 6â10 we aimed to develop a strict structural analogue of albaconazole in which the quinazolinone ring will be replaced by a thiazoloquinazolinone scaffold (compounds I and II, Figure 1) via Appel salt chemistry. Our goal was to slightly increase the size of the inhibitor to cover a larger area within the active site of fungal