CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & LEIPZIG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EnBiotix, Inc., a product-focused bioengineering company leveraging systems and synthetic biology platforms to combat the global rise of drug-resistant and drug-tolerant bacterial infections, today announced the completion of an asset acquisition of AMP Therapeutics GmbH (“AMPT”), an anti-microbial peptide portfolio company of Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Novartis Venture Fund. In connection with the acquisition, EnBiotix has established EnBiotix GmbH. EnBiotix has also initiated a collaboration with Leipzig University and AMPT’s scientific co-founder, Professor Ralf Hoffmann, Ph.D.
“AMPT has discovered and developed unique families of anti-microbial peptides which are very potent, non-toxic to human cells and which possess broad spectrum anti-bacterial activity,” said Jeffrey D. Wager, M.D., Chairman & CEO of EnBiotix. “These peptides represent exciting potential candidates as payloads for our engineered phage platform and as stand-alone therapies for both human and animal health indications. In addition, by establishing EnBiotix GmbH to facilitate our acquisition of AMPT assets, we are now well-positioned to pursue a variety of European partnering and fundraising activities in both the private and public sectors.”
“The acquisition of AMPT by EnBiotix represents a very synergistic fit between the two companies, and should substantially enhance corporate value for both sets of shareholders,” said Martin F. Heidecker, Ph.D., MBA, Managing Director of Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund USA Inc. “As part of our mission to invest in and support early stage, innovative research that can benefit patients worldwide, we strongly support this business combination.”
The AMPT anti-microbial peptides address significant unmet medical needs and provide an alternative to antibiotics in human and animal health, particularly in an era of unprecedented bacterial resistance to traditional antibiotics. In conjunction with the acquisition, EnBiotix has also initiated a collaboration with Leipzig University and Professor Ralf Hoffmann. The collaboration between EnBiotix GmbH and the Hoffmann Lab will work to optimize anti-microbial peptides for a variety of indications, beginning with ventilator associated pneumonia and hospital acquired pneumonia.
About Antimicrobial Peptides and AMPT’s Portfolio
Antimicrobial
peptides (AMPs) are found in virtually every species, from microbes to
humans. They comprise the first line of defense against infection
through the innate immune system. The AMPT portfolio of unique
antimicrobial peptides overcomes many of the issues associated with AMPs
as anti-bacterial therapeutics, most notably potency, spectrum,
stability and toxicity. The unique mechanism of action of these
compounds and the low rate of resistance development positions these
molecules as the next generation of novel anti-bacterials. In addition
to their potential as stand-alone therapeutics, the AMPT portfolio, in
combination with EnBiotix’s engineered bacteriophage platform, further
enhances the scope and capabilities of both platforms.
About EnBiotix
EnBiotix is an engineered antibiotics company
deploying novel systems and synthetic biology technologies developed by
Prof. James J. Collins, the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering &
Science Professor, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. These technologies enable the development of
both novel antibiotics and potentiators of existing antibiotics which
have the potential to transform their spectrum of activity and
resistance profile. With drug-resistant and drug-tolerant infections
rapidly becoming a global health crisis, EnBiotix’s robust product
pipeline addresses a wide range of acute and chronic infections to
significantly impact the lives of patients. For more information, please
visit www.enbiotix.com.
