CARB-X IS FUNDING AFFINIVAX TO DEVELOP A NOVEL VACCINE TO PREVENT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

CARB-X is funding Affinivax, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, biotech, to develop a new vaccine that will prevent Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacterial infections, healthcare-associated infections that are a major health threat particularly to high-risk and older patients. No vaccine exists currently to prevent S. aureus infections, and there are limited treatment options, particularly with the spread of multidrug-resistant strains of the pathogen, often described as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

The CARB-X award is worth up to $3.5 million, and could provide up to $18.5 million more if the project successfully progresses through certain development milestones, subject to availability of funds. The funding will support optimization of Affinivax’s lead candidate to potentially advance toward submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and evaluation in clinical studies.