SPARK, Pew’s Platform for Antibiotic Discovery Research, Receives New Data from Merck and Kyorin

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that Merck & Co. Inc. (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) and Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Japan) have shared antibiotic research data on Pew’s open-access Shared Platform for Antibiotic Research and Knowledge (SPARK). The contribution builds on data previously shared with SPARK from a range of research programs—including those at academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other pharmaceutical companies—further expanding the free, interactive resource, which scientists around the world are using to pursue antibiotic research.

The preclinical data provided by Merck comes from a discontinued joint research program between the company and Kyorin. The program investigated a potentially novel way to attack bacteria, by targeting two types of enzymes: DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. SPARK focuses on data related to Gram-negative bacteria, which are known to produce some of the most dangerous and hardest-to-treat superbug infections.