EQS-Adhoc

Polyphor receives award of up to USD 3.3 million from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to support clinical development of inhaled antibiotic murepavadin - Seite 2

"Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a leading cause of lung function decline in people with cystic fibrosis and our novel class antibiotic, inhaled murepavadin, has the potential to change the treatment paradigm transforming patients' lives," said Gokhan Batur, Chief Executive Officer of Polyphor. "This is Polyphor's second award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, whose support had made possible nearly every cystic fibrosis-specific drug available today. The award will further encourage clinical development of inhaled murepavadin, and we would like to thank the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for their trust and ongoing support."

About inhaled murepavadin:

Polyphor's inhaled murepavadin is currently being developed as a precision antibiotic specifically targeting chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa, for the treatment of these infections in people with CF. It is the first member of the Outer Membrane Protein Targeting Antibiotics (OMPTA), a novel class of antibiotics which was discovered by Polyphor and the University of Zurich and displays a unique mode of action. Based on the data of the inhaled murepavadin preclinical program suggesting significantly higher safety margins (at least 5-10 times) versus the intravenous formulation, Polyphor is planning to initiate the clinical development program. Until the end of the planned Phase Ia study the program is jointly funded by Polyphor and the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). Inhaled murepavadin is also part of the iABC project, a Europe-wide program dedicated to the development of inhaled antibiotics run by a consortium of leading lung specialists and research institutions in various European countries. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation award will allow further development until the end of the Phase Ib/IIa study.

Infections remain a significant problem for people with CF who require novel treatment options, despite the availability of CFTR modulators. If approved for commercial use, inhaled murepavadin would be the first new class of antibiotics for Gram-negative pathogens in the last 50 years. It would also be potentially the first agent to target specifically Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria versus the current standard of care, broad spectrum inhaled antibiotics.