CARB-X AWARDS OXFORD DRUG DESIGN FUNDING TO DEVELOP A NEW CLASS OF ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT DRUG-RESISTANT GRAM-NEGATIVE INFECTIONS

CARB-X is awarding Oxford Drug Design Ltd. of Oxford, UK, up to $2.55 million in non-dilutive funding with the possibility of $4.24 million more if certain project milestones are met, to develop a new class of antibiotics for the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections using an approach designed to reduce the likelihood that resistance will emerge.

Oxford Drug Design is working to develop inhibitors of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), enzymes that are essential for bacterial viability. The aaRSs are a clinically validated target family, but to date, no inhibitors with systemic activity have reached the market. Oxford Drug Design has discovered a novel class of small-molecule aaRS inhibitors with activity against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. The compounds are directed against a novel aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase target site with a design strategy of targeting more than one synthetase, decreasing the probability of resistance emerging to the new compounds compared to aaRS inhibitors pursued in the past. Oxford Drug Design intends to progress these compounds as quickly as possible through hit-to-lead and optimization towards clinical development.