New Seeding Drug Discovery award will help develop new antibiotics
12 January 2009
Aminoglycosides are a proven class of antibacterial drugs that are still in extensive clinical use. There has not been a new member of this important class approved for decades, however, and the effectiveness of existing drugs is declining rapidly due to the expansion of resistant bacterial strains.
Dr Ted Bianco, Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust, said: "The escalation in resistance to even the most advanced antibiotics available today is one of our most concerning healthcare issues worldwide. Our support of Achaogen's research recognizes the importance the Wellcome Trust places on this area of urgent need, and our commitment to help stop the spread of untreatable bacterial infections through hospitals, nursing homes and the wider community."
The Wellcome Trust award will support ongoing preclinical studies of two Achaogen drug candidates that have shown promising activity against bacterial infections, including the highly resistant Enterobacteriaceae (which include E. coli) and the multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both new chemical entities are being studied by Achaogen with the expectation of entering an initial product candidate into phase 1 clinical development in 2009.
Kevin Judice, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of Achaogen, said: "We are very pleased to receive this funding award through the Seeding Drug Discovery initiative of the Wellcome Trust. It is an honour that such a distinguished organisation shares our vision and recognizes our potential to positively impact public health in the area of antibiotic resistance. We anticipate leveraging the wealth of experience and support made available to us through the Trust as we advance these compounds toward the clinic."
Image: Scanning electron micrograph of E.coli 0157; Debbie Marshall, Wellcome Images