Therapeutic Areas
Infectious Diseases
We have identified and are chemically optimizing several small molecule compounds for the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Our goal is to select lead development compounds that can be formulated for both intravenous and oral administration.
The increasing prevalence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria is a global health problem and represents a critical unmet medical need. Many infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens occur in patients receiving medical care for serious conditions in hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, such as those providing wound care or ventilation, or nursing homes. Infections acquired in these settings, commonly referred to as nosocomial infections, frequently result in severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract and bloodstream. The majority of these cases of pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract and bloodstream are caused by Gram-negative bacteria.
We have identified a novel structural class of molecules that kill bacteria by targeting bacterial DNA synthesis. When tested using in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration, or MIC, assays, our compounds have demonstrated broad spectrum antibacterial activity against numerous Gram negative bacteria, including E. coli., A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, N. gonorrhoeae, and Staphylococcus aureus. We believe that the key differentiating factor of our compounds is their potent antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria that are refractory to current drugs, including carbapenems and fluoroquinolones.