Cidara Therapeutics Doses First Patient in Pivotal Phase 3 ReSPECT Trial of Rezafungin for Prevention of Invasive Fungal Disease in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplantation

SAN DIEGO and CAMBRIDGE, England, May 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDTX), a biotechnology company developing long-acting therapeutics to transform the standard of care for patients facing serious fungal or viral infections, and Mundipharma today announced that the first patient has been dosed in its ReSPECT pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of the company’s lead antifungal candidate, rezafungin, for the prevention of invasive fungal disease in patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT). Rezafungin is a novel, once-weekly echinocandin being developed for both the treatment and prevention of severe fungal infections.

Johan A. Maertens, M.D., Ph.D., FECCM, Professor of Internal Medicine and Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and investigator in the ReSPECT study, said, “Rezafungin has the potential to become the new standard of care to prevent invasive fungal disease in patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow transplants. The cocktail of preventative options used today has significant limitations, such as toxicities, hazardous drug-drug interactions and patient compliance. With one drug, rezafungin, given once-weekly, we may be able to overcome these substantial limitations to improve patient outcomes in this highly immunosuppressed population.”

Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cidara, added, “The ReSPECT pivotal Phase 3 trial studying rezafungin for the prevention of severe fungal infections, along with our ongoing ReSTORE Phase 3 trial evaluating rezafungin for the treatment of invasive Candida infections, positions rezafungin to potentially become the first new antifungal approved for both the treatment and prevention of serious fungal infections in nearly 15 years. Patients with compromised immune systems face complex drug regimens when undergoing BMT and experience a high mortality rate if infected. Shifting the antifungal standard of care to a single once-weekly drug, rezafungin, which has the potential to protect against three deadly pathogens, could significantly transform the approach and outcomes for patients and health care providers alike.”