Enables continued investment in innovative projects to tackle the growing global threat posed by AMR
Alderley Park, Cheshire, U.K – Infex Therapeutics, a leader in critical-priority infectious diseases, welcomes the news that CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator), a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria, has received an additional $370m from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Wellcome Trust. The funding will enable CARB-X to continue to provide investment to support early-stage research and development (R&D) for new antibacterial therapies, preventatives, and diagnostics.
Infex is currently working on two pre-clinical co-development projects with Microbiotix that are supported by grant funding from Carb-X.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within HHS, will provide US$20 million initially and up to US$300 million over 10 years to support the existing portfolio and launch new funding rounds. The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in HHS, will provide support in the form of in-kind services through access to a suite of preclinical services for product development. Wellcome will provide up to US$70 million over three years as part of its continued commitment to address the escalating threat of drug-resistant infections. Initial funding of $355 million from both BARDA and Wellcome originally launched CARB-X in 2016, and the new funding builds on the success of this international non-profit partnership. Other CARB-X funders and partners include the U.K. and German governments, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To date, CARB-X has received over US$500 million and invested US$361 million of this non-dilutive funding to support the advancement of 92 innovative projects in 12 countries.
Further information on the fundraise can be found here
Dr Peter Jackson, CEO of Infex Therapeutics, commented, “It is encouraging to see the CARB-X programme continue to be supported by the U.S. Government and Wellcome. CARB-X plays a vital role in supporting the development of novel treatments to tackle the growing global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. To date it has invested $361m to support a diverse portfolio of innovative antimicrobial projects across the globe.
“There have been no novel classes of antibiotics developed for over 30 years. A recent report in The Lancet estimated that 1.27m deaths occurred in 2019 due to antibiotic-resistant infections. Therefore, project funders such as CARB-X are essential to developing new antibiotics and novel solutions to the global AMR pandemic.”
About CARB-X
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funding is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Wellcome, a global charity working to improve health worldwide, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). CARB-X supports the world’s largest and most innovative pipeline of preclinical and early-stage development products against antibiotic resistant infections. CARB-X is headquartered at Boston University School of Law. For more information, view a fact sheet on CARB-X’s first five years and 2020-2021 annual report. Visit carb-x.org and follow CARB-X on Twitter @CARB_X.