COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clarametyx Biosciences Inc. (“Clarametyx”), a preclinical stage biotechnology company developing targeted, immune-enabling biologic therapies to counter persistent infections associated with biofilms, today announced that CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator), a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research and development, has awarded the company up to $14.2 million in funding to advance its novel technology platform through the completion of a Phase 1 clinical study. The award is broken down into a base period totaling $2.4M, with three additional milestone-based options, subject to available funds.
Clarametyx is focused on addressing the challenge of biofilm-associated infections. These infections are often resistant to immune response or standard antibiotic regimens due to an extracellular matrix in the biofilm that protects the bacteria, contributing to persistent, harmful inflammatory responses, as well as extended duration and severity of disease. The Clarametyx platform is designed to precisely remove a universal, pathogen-agnostic target within this matrix, rapidly and effectively collapsing the protective shield and sensitizing bacteria to immune and antibiotic attack.
“Bacterial biofilms are a serious global health concern due to their ability to resist both antibiotics and the host’s immune system,” said Erin Duffy, R&D Chief of CARB-X, a non-profit global partnership led by Boston University and dedicated to funding and supporting the development of innovative products to address antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. “We urgently need new therapeutics to address life-threatening bacterial infections. Clarametyx is developing an exciting new approach that could be effective on a broad range of serious drug-resistant pathogens and also numerous types of infections.”
The platform has the potential to generate a robust pipeline of therapeutics and vaccines that both enhance the activity of the body’s innate immune system and sensitize a wide range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial pathogens to the action of first-line and other antibiotics. Its lead candidate, CMTX-101, is an immune-enabling antibody therapy with broad-spectrum activity for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pneumonia through co-administration with standard antibiotic regimens to improve patient response to therapy. Moderate-to-severe pneumonia causes more than 500,000 hospitalizations annually in the U.S., with high fatality rates. It contributes significant costs to the U.S. healthcare system through increased length of hospital stay, greater use of antibiotic interventions, need for ventilation and higher ICU resource utilization.
“The CARB-X funding award recognizes the clinical potential of this important technology. With an entirely new approach to persistent bacterial infections, our technology could represent a disruptive innovation that is very well aligned to the CARB-X goals to combat drug resistance,” said Charles McOsker, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Clarametyx. “The funding and technical expertise offered by CARB-X will fuel momentum in our preclinical development to pursue this powerful new solution for life-threatening infections that contribute considerable burden to the global community.”
About CARB-X
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funding is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Wellcome Trust, a global charity based in the UK working to improve health globally, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). CARB-X is investing up to $480 million from 2016-2022 to support innovative antibiotics and other therapeutics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X supports the world’s largest and most innovative pipeline of preclinical products against drug-resistant infections. CARB-X is headquartered at Boston University School of Law. carb-x.org/. Follow us on Twitter @CARB_X.
About Clarametyx Biosciences
Clarametyx Biosciences is combating the formidable challenge of persistent and recalcitrant infections through an innovative technology platform targeting the biofilm—a protective layer around bacteria—to enable a more effective immune response or antibiotic intervention. The Columbus, Ohio-based company is building a dynamic pipeline of immune-enabling therapies and vaccines for life-threatening bacterial infections associated with biofilms. Its lead candidate, CMTX-101, is a humanized monoclonal antibody in preclinical development for hospital-acquired pneumonia. For more information, visit us on the web or on LinkedIn.
- Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/2019-ar-threats-report-508.pdf
