Acurx Pharmaceuticals Inc. continues to post positive data for its lead candidate ibezapolstat but that didn’t stop the stock from tumbling. The antibiotic outperformed vancomycin in a phase IIb study treating Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Vancomycin is a standard of care in the indication. Ibezapolstat eradicated fecal CDI at day 3 in 15 of 16 patients compared to vancomycin, which eradicated fecal CDI in 10 of 14 patients.
Malaria cases increase at a slow but continued rate. There is a vital need for new antimalarial treatments able to overcome drug resistance for a more sustained control of the disease.
Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Spexis AG for a preclinical program of antibiotics from a novel class, targeting gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains.
Exevir Bio BV has released new data demonstrating that its antibodies are highly potent in neutralizing currently circulating COVID-19 omicron variants.
Merck & Co. Inc. CEO Robert Davis said the pneumococcal vaccines (PCVs) space is “an area where there is still a high unmet need, and what we have is a new vaccine specifically targeted to the adult population that addresses 83% of the residual disease. That's about 30% higher than anyone else that's out there.” Speaking Jan. 9 at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM), Davis predicted that his firm “will take a majority share” of the market if approved. The Merck candidate, V-116, bears a PDUFA date with the U.S. FDA of June 17.
Researchers from Indian Council of Medical Research and affiliated organizations presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of OSP-rT2544, being developed for the treatment of salmonella.
Trawsfynydd Therapeutics Inc. has identified 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19).
Researchers from Yangzhou University presented the discovery and preclinical characterization of LysZX4-NCA, a new endolysin therapeutic being developed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant highly virulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-hvKP) infections.