Fosmidomycin is an antibiotic that was originally isolated from culture broths of bacteria of the genus Streptomyces.

[1] It specifically inhibits DXP reductoisomerase, a key enzyme in the non-mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis.

[2] Several mutations in the E. coli DXP reductoisomerase were found to confer resistance to fosmidomycin.

[3][4] The discovery of the non-mevalonate pathway in malaria parasites has indicated the use of fosmidomycin and other such inhibitors as antimalarial drugs.

[6][7][8] It has been shown that an increase in copy number of the target enzyme (DXP reductoisomerase) correlates with in vitro fosmidomycin resistance in the lethal malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.