C-CAMP start-up Bugworks to collaborate with GARD-P to co-develop novel broad-spectrum antibiotic

Bugworks Research Inc. (Bugworks), a Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) incubated start-up along with Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) has announced a collaboration agreement to co-develop an innovative compound (BWC0977) with broad-spectrum antibiotic activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria that cause life-threatening infections.

Bugworks Research Inc. (Bugworks), a Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) incubated start-up along with Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) has announced a collaboration agreement to co-develop an innovative compound (BWC0977) with broad-spectrum antibiotic activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria that cause life-threatening infections.

Under the agreement, GARDP will provide up to U.S. $20 million to Bugworks in technical and financial support for the pharmaceutical and clinical co-development of BWC0977. In return, Bugworks has granted GARDP manufacturing and commercialisation rights for BWC0977 in 146 countries, almost all of which are low- or middle-income (LMICs).

BWC0977 has in vitro activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens that lead to serious hospital-acquired infections like pneumonia, bloodstream infections and complicated urinary tract infections.

Among these pathogens are WHO critical priority pathogens, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, for which few treatment options exist. According to the GRAM study, these two pathogens alone account for over one-fifth of deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2019. The study also shows that, in many countries around the world, over 80% of A. baumannii clinical isolates were carbapenem resistant.

“We are excited to work with Bugworks to make key investments at this critical stage in the development of compound BWC0977.Many compounds in the antibiotic pipeline lack innovative characteristics and fail to target priority pathogens. In contrast, BWC0977 stands out for its novelty and potential to address unmet public health needs,” said Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of GARDP.