The grant will support development of the Debio 1454 program to treat hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) caused by Acinetobacter baumannii
Lausanne, Switzerland – May 14, 2019 – Debiopharm (www.debiopharm.com) announced today that it has been awarded funding from the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) to advance the development of its antibiotic program Debio 1454, targeting the multidrug resistant superbug A. baumannii. Debio 1454 compounds inhibit bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis, an essential pathway in many bacterial species including gram negative, drug-resistant strains.
The objective of the program is to develop an IV antibiotic with a novel mechanism-of-action to treat infections caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB). At the end of the project, a promising Development Candidate will be selected which has the profile to potentially address the unmet need, being ready for further testing in preparation for clinical trials.
“CARB-X’s grant will help support the development of Debio 1454, a new class of antibiotics targeting A. baumannii, one of the priority 1 critical pathogens identified by the WHO. We are really excited to continue developing innovative antibiotics that not only target specific priority pathogens but also spare the natural microbiome, reducing the potential for dysbiosis and development of resistance.”
– Gregoire Vuagniaux, Director of Translational Science, Debiopharm International SA
“The world urgently needs new approaches, new classes of antibiotics and rapid diagnostics to treat infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. Debiopharm’s Debio 1454 project represents an exciting new class of antibiotics that if successful and approved for use in patients, could save lives and be huge step forward in the global fight against drug resistance. We are making solid progress in supporting antibacterial innovation, but we know that much more is needed. It will take increased investment and concerted global leadership to deliver the antibiotics and other life-saving products we need to address the superbug crisis.”
– Kevin Outterson Executive Director of CARB-X and professor of law at Boston University
Debiopharm will receive a total of up to $2.1 million in non-dilutive funding with the possibility of an additional $1.6 million if certain project milestones are met. This is Debiopharm’s second project to be awarded funding from CARB-X. In 2017, CARB-X announced support for the development of the Debio 1453 program against multi-drug resistant bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative pathogen of sexually transmitted difficult-to-treat gonorrhea.
About CARB-X
CARB-X is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X funding is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Wellcome Trust, a global charity based in the UK working to improve health globally; Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (UK GAMRIF); the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A non-profit partnership, CARB-X is investing up to $550 million from 2016-2021 to support innovative antibiotics and other therapeutics, vaccines and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X supports the world’s largest and most innovative pipeline of preclinical products against drug-resistant infections. CARB-X focuses exclusively on high priority drug-resistant bacteria, especially Gram-negatives. CARB-X is headquartered at Boston University School of Law. https://carb-x.org/. Follow us on Twitter @CARB_X
About Debiopharm
Debiopharm aims to develop innovative therapies that target high unmet medical needs in oncology and bacterial infections by bridging the gap between disruptive discovery products and real-world patient reach.
For more information, please visit www.debiopharm.com
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