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Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, announced an agreement with Prokaryotics Inc, a privately held US-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel anti-infective drugs. The collaboration aims to jointly develop a first-in-class broad-spectrum antifungal for the treatment of severe invasive infections.
The collaboration is focused on a program of antifungal molecules with a novel mode of action, addressing the critical unmet need of patients with invasive infections caused by strains of Candida, Aspergillus, and rare molds. The joint efforts aim to deliver a clinical candidate, which will then be further progressed through clinical development by Basilea.
Dr. Laurenz Kellenberger, chief scientific officer of Basilea, commented: “We are excited to collaborate with Prokaryotics on this program with the goal to develop an entirely novel class of broad-spectrum antifungals for patients suffering from severe invasive infections. There remains a significant unmet medical need for safe, effective, and easy to administer antifungals, with activity against priority pathogens. This partnership underscores Basilea’s continued commitment to addressing these needs, also evidenced by our robust anti-infective research and development pipeline. We look forward to working together, combining Prokaryotics expertise in anti-infective drug discovery and Basilea’s capabilities to advance novel drugs to the market.”
Dr. Terry Roemer, chief scientific officer of Prokaryotics, stated: “There is a huge medical need for new antifungal agents with novel modes of action distinct from current clinically used drugs. This partnership perfectly aligns Prokaryotics’ expertise and passion for discovering novel anti-infectives with Basilea’s exceptional leadership in advancing novel drugs to the market.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Basilea will make an undisclosed upfront payment, along with near-term milestone payments to Prokaryotics. After selection of a clinical candidate, Basilea would be responsible for the clinical development and global commercialization under an exclusive global license. Under such license, Prokaryotics would be eligible to receive up to USD 48.5 million in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered low single-digit royalties on global net sales.
Invasive aspergillosis, caused by Aspergillus molds, and invasive infections with rare molds (e.g., Fusarium spp., Lomentospora prolificans, Scedosporium spp., and Mucorales fungi) are life-threatening infections that predominantly affect immunocompromised patients, including patients with hematologic malignancies (blood cancer), transplant patients, or patients with other immunodeficiency disorders. These infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality.
Invasive infections caused by Candida yeasts, such as candidiasis, including deep-seated tissue candidiasis and candidemia, are increasingly important nosocomial infections, especially in patients hospitalized in intensive care units. Candida species are ranked as the fourth main cause of bloodstream infections in hospitals in the US. The prognosis of invasive candidiasis remains difficult, with a reported mortality rate as high as 40%, even when patients receive antifungal therapy.
Prokaryotics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company founded on Merck & Co. out-licensed antibiotic development assets and internally discovered programs with the promise to treat life-threatening microbial infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria and fungi.
Basilea is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Switzerland. The company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs to meet the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections.
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