French biotech startup Antabio receives $4.4 million from CARB-X to further development of new treatment for cystic fibrosis patients

Antabion, a Labege, France-based biotech startup announced today it has been awarded up to $4.4 million in a second tranche funding from CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership dedicated to tackling the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. The funding will be used to support the development of Antabio’s novel small molecule candidate for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients.

Founded in 2009, Antabio is a private biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibacterial resistance-breakers to treat drug-resistant infections in areas of highest unmet medical need. Two of Antabio’s programs have received Wellcome Trust Seeding Drug Discovery Awards to date: [i] a novel, safe and efficacious inhibitor of bacterial metallo ß-lactamases to be combined with a carbapenem for the treatment of drug-resistant nosocomial infections and [ii] a first-in-class inhibitor of Pseudomonas virulence to be co-administered with standard-of-care antibiotics for the long-term management of chronic respiratory infections.

This new tranche, part of a CARB-X award announced in July 2017, will be used to advance Antabio’s Pseudomonas Elastase Inhibitor (PEi) program up to completion of non-GLP preclinical studies. The additional funding recognizes Antabio’s successful completion of project milestones during the first contractual period leading to the identification of a preclinical candidate.

Antabio’s innovative PEi program seeks to develop an inhaled product to be used as an adjunct to existing therapy and which will aim to reduce the severity of P. aeruginosa disease and enhance pathogen clearance by targeting the LasB elastase, a key virulence determinant that contributes to tissue damage and inflammation in infected CF lungs. Antabio believes the PEi product, with its novel target and groundbreaking mechanism of action, has the potential to significantly enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments for CF patients.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition leading to long-term infections and progressive lung damage. The majority (>80%) of adult CF patients have acute and chronic infections caused by the bacterium P. aeruginosa, which has adapted to resist immune clearance and conventional antibiotics, leading to treatment failure, chronic infection and recurrent acute exacerbations. P. aeruginosa is one of the most critical pathogens urgently requiring alternative treatment strategies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Marc Lemonnier, Antabio’s CEO, commented, “We are very pleased by CARB-X’s continued financial support for our program focused on the development of our novel Pseudomonas elastase inhibitors. We believe that this program has the potential to deliver new molecules that will enhance the effects of the current antibiotics and improve the treatment of infections in CF patients. Antabio is committed to developing new truly innovative treatment options that can address the growing global issue of antimicrobial resistance and which can deliver potentially significant life-saving clinical benefits to patients.”

“CARB-X funds the best science and most promising research projects around the world to address drug resistance,” said Erin Duffy, CARB-X’s Chief of R&D. “CARB-X’s pipeline, which includes Antabio’s novel PEi approach to AMR, continues to expand with innovative antibiotics and prevention approaches. Our milestone-based funding is designed to recognize success in the progression of highly innovative programs, like those pursuing the urgently needed treatment of severe Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Congratulations to Antabio on the progress achieved to-date.”