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Fundraisings and IPOs

Date: 2017-03-30

Type of information: Grant

Company: Forge Therapeutics (USA - CA)

Investors: CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Accelerator) (USA)

Amount: $8.8 million

Funding type: grant

Planned used: Forge Therapeutics will use this research award to advance its novel Gram-negative antibiotic programme targeting LpxC for the treatment of bacterial infections. In December 2016, Evotec entered into a strategic alliance with Forge to accelerate its LpxC targeting antibiotic. The alliance focuses on lead optimisation of LpxC inhibitors with the goal of identifying a development candidate in the next couple of years. LpxC is a very attractive and highly sought after antibiotic target – it is conserved across Gram-negative bacteria and not found in Gram-positive bacteria or human cells. Other LpxC inhibitors have been evaluated by biopharma in the past, but chemistry limitations (e.g. hydroxamic acid) have yielded ineffective compounds that suffer from poor drug-like properties. Thus, there are no approved therapeutics targeting LpxC. Forge, using its proprietary chemistry platform, has developed novel non-hydroxamate inhibitors of LpxC that are safe and effective in an animal model of Gram-negative infection and are able to kill Gram-negative ‘superbugs’ where other antibiotics are ineffective.  

Others:

  • • On March 30, 2017, Forge Therapeutics announced a significant collaboration with CARB-X, (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Accelerator). CARB-X selected Forge from a group of 168 international companies and research groups to be one of the first recipients of this novel cost-sharing award. Forge will receive an initial award of $4.8M over 15 months and potentially up to $4M from CARB-X after that period upon achievement of certain milestones.
  • In August 2016, CARB-X was launched to accelerate pre-clinical product development in the area of antibiotic-resistant infections. CARB-X was established by BARDA and NIAID of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services along with Wellcome Trust. This partnership has committed up to $450 million in new funds over the next five years to increase the number of antibacterial products in the drug-development pipeline. It reflects a new approach to how antibacterial research and drug development is identified, funded and accelerated to the clinic.
 

Therapeutic area:

Is general: Yes