CARB-X funds Procarta Biosystems to develop oligonucleotide-based antibiotics to combat life-threatening Gram-negative pathogens

CARB-X is awarding Procarta Biosystems, a UK-based biotech company, up to US$2.2 million in non-dilutive funding with the possibility of $7.0 million more if certain project milestones are met, to develop a new class of antibiotics to treat Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. The new antibiotics are based on Procarta’s oligonucleotide antimicrobial platform. While still in preclinical development, if eventually approved for use in patients, Procarta’s PRO-202 antibiotics could be used to treat serious infections associated with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI).