Last reviewed 2026-06-02 · How we verify

Desmodine (HEXAMIDINE)

Phase 2 active Small molecule ✓ Verified Jun 2026

Desmodine (generic name: HEXAMIDINE) is a hexamidine drug. It is currently in Phase 2 development for Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Desmodine works by inhibiting the growth of Acanthamoeba parasites.

Desmodine is a small molecule. It is also known by the synonyms HEXAMIDINA, HEXAMIDINE, HEXAMIDINE, HEXAMIDINE.

Likelihood of approval

13.3% vs 15.3% industry baseline

If approved by FDA: likely 2031–2034

Steps remaining: Phase 3 → NDA/BLA submission

Confidence: Medium

Why this estimate

Baseline phase 2 → approval rate +15.3pp
Industry-wide phase 2 drugs reach approval ~15.3% of the time (BIO/Informa 2023 industry benchmark across all therapeutic areas).
Oncology Phase 2 attrition -2.0pp
Oncology drugs have higher Phase 2-to-Phase 3 attrition than average — many fail to show OS benefit in larger studies.

Predicted approval windows by jurisdiction (conditional on FDA approval)

Regulator	Country	Likely year	Lag vs FDA
FDA	US	2031–2034	—
EMA	EU	2032–2035	+0.7 yr
MHRA	GB	2032–2035	+0.7 yr
Health Canada	CA	2032–2036	+0.9 yr
TGA	AU	2032–2036	+1.2 yr
PMDA	JP	2032–2036	+1.5 yr
NMPA	CN	2033–2037	+2.3 yr
MFDS	KR	2032–2036	+1.4 yr
CDSCO	IN	2032–2037	+1.8 yr
ANVISA	BR	2033–2037	+2.3 yr

Hover any row for the lag rationale. Lag estimates are reduced when the drug has FDA Breakthrough or EMA PRIME designation (sponsors file globally in parallel).

Estimate based on the BIO/Informa industry phase transition rates plus per-drug modifiers for therapeutic area, sponsor type, FDA designations, mechanism, and trial design. Per-jurisdiction lags from Tufts CSDD international approval studies. Not investment, clinical or regulatory advice. Methodology: /methodology#likelihood.

At a glance

Generic name	HEXAMIDINE
Drug class	hexamidine
Target	Prothrombin
Modality	Small molecule
Therapeutic area	Oncology
Phase	Phase 2

Mechanism of action

Imagine your body's cells are like a city, and Acanthamoeba parasites are like a virus that infects the city's residents. Desmodine is like a special police officer that stops the virus from spreading and taking over the city. By stopping the virus, Desmodine helps to clear up the infection and heal the city.

Approved indications

Acanthamoeba keratitis

Common side effects

No common side effects on file.

Key clinical trials

Primary sources

Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.

Source	Used for
ClinicalTrials.gov	Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results

Competitive intelligence

For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:

Desmodine CI brief — competitive landscape report
Desmodine updates RSS · CI watch RSS

Frequently asked questions about Desmodine

What is Desmodine?

Desmodine (HEXAMIDINE) is a hexamidine drug, indicated for Acanthamoeba keratitis.

How does Desmodine work?

Desmodine works by inhibiting the growth of Acanthamoeba parasites.

What is Desmodine used for?

Desmodine is indicated for Acanthamoeba keratitis.

What is the generic name of Desmodine?

HEXAMIDINE is the generic (nonproprietary) name of Desmodine.

What drug class is Desmodine in?

Desmodine belongs to the hexamidine class. See all hexamidine drugs at /class/hexamidine.

What development phase is Desmodine in?

Desmodine is in Phase 2.

What does Desmodine target?

Desmodine targets Prothrombin and is a hexamidine.

Drug class: All hexamidine drugs
Target: All drugs targeting Prothrombin
Therapeutic area: All drugs in Oncology
Indication: Drugs for Acanthamoeba keratitis

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing