Nosopharm joins ENABLE to help combat antibiotic resistance

Nosopharm has been selected to join ENABLE (European Gram-negative Antibacterial Engine), a project working to advance the development of potential antibiotics against multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections.

ENABLE is one of seven projects in the New Drugs For Bad Bugs (ND4BB) consortium, part of the Innovative Medicines Initiative’s (IMI’s) antibiotic resistance programme. This €100m ($106m) project aims to identify at least three antibacterial lead molecules with promising antibacterial activity, two antibacterial clinical candidate molecules and to enter at least one compound into preclinical and Phase 1 clinical studies.

Commenting on the news, Professor Anders Karlén, project coordinator, Uppsala University, said, “We welcome Nosopharm’s programme into the Innovative Medicines Initiative ENABLE project. We are excited to support SMEs like Nosopharm in this very challenging scientific area. We believe that this collaboration in a public-private partnership context is an excellent way to develop the potential of novel antibacterial agents.”

Nosopharm will strengthen ENABLE’s R&D portfolio as it brings the most advanced programme to date to the project: NOSO-95179, a first-in-class antibiotic for the treatment of multidrug-resistant hospital-acquired infections. Participation in the project will allow Nosopharm to access significant technical expertise and financial support to complete a Phase 1 clinical trial. ENABLE will fund 75% of Nosopharm’s internal R&D costs while the programme is active. Nosopharm will also participate in collaborative research with ENABLE’s expert partners across Europe.

A major milestone in the development of Nosopharm’s NOSO-95179

Its selection brings encouraging recognition from global anti-infective experts for NOSO-95179 as a promising antibacterial preclinical candidate for the treatment of life-threatening multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections.

“Being selected for ENABLE strengthens Nosopharm’s position among the most innovative companies in the antibacterial R&D community,” said Philippe Villain-Guillot, president of Nosopharm. “This is a major milestone in the development of our NOSO-95179 candidate. We aim to start IND-enabling studies in 2018 and launch our first-in-man clinical trial in 2019. We would like to warmly thank the IMI and the ENABLE team for their trust and support.”