CARB-X is awarding $1.2 million to the Andrew G. Myers research group at Harvard University to develop enhanced antibiotics that target multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial pathogens, including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, to treat urinary tract infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
Centauri Therapeutics Ltd. has extended its series A financing round to £30 million (US$40.5 million) with the addition of a new £6 million (US$8 million) investment. Centauri initially closed its £24 million (US$32 million) series A round in 2022.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly compromising the effectiveness of essential antibiotics, resulting in higher global mortality and morbidity rates. Despite this urgent need, few new antibiotics, particularly against gram-negative bacteria, are in development.
In earlier work, researchers from the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (Beijing, China) and collaborators identified a small-molecule inhibitor (IMB-H4) of the BamA-BamD interaction. By binding to the intracellular domain of unfolded BamA, IMB-H4 disrupts the BamA-BamD assembly, leading to outer membrane damage and filamentation in gram-negative bacteria.
GSK plc and the Fleming Initiative have announced six major new research programs to find new ways to slow the progress of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Fleming Initiative is a collaboration established by Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to help tackle AMR. Each of the new programs will begin by early next year and are fully funded for 3 years.
Using its proprietary FBDD platform, Blacksmith discovered FG-2101, the prodrug form of FG-960, the first known non-hydroxamate LpxC inhibitor that exerted activity against LpxC at the nanomolar range.
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) will award Arrepath Inc. $3.7 million to execute a lead optimization workplan for its first-in-class antibiotic targeting a clinically novel target for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections caused by multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales.
Arrepath Inc. has disclosed UDP-2,3-diacylglucosamine hydrolase (LpxH; bacterial) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections.
Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. has been awarded an additional $7.3 million from CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) to support the progression of the company’s novel antibiotic candidate, BAL-2420.
