CARB-X IS FUNDING THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND TO DEVELOP A NEW DRUG TARGETED TO LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

CARB-X is awarding up to US$2.2 million to The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), Brisbane, Australia, to expand its Octapeptin research program to develop a new drug designed for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where there are high levels of drug-resistant bacteria.

The new drug – engineered Octapeptin peptides that act as potentiators – would work by disrupting the protective cell membrane of drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria so that existing antibiotics can once again work to kill the bacteria. The drug would be used in combination with antibiotics that are readily available in LMICs but that have become ineffective in the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.