Prokaryotics, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on novel anti-infectives, has announced a new collaboration with Basilea Pharmaceutica, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical leader in severe bacterial and fungal infections.
The partnership aims to develop a first-in-class broad-spectrum antifungal to combat life-threatening invasive infections.
The program targets antifungal molecules with a novel mode of action, addressing the urgent unmet needs of patients suffering from infections caused by Candida, Aspergillus, and rare molds. Prokaryotics and Basilea will work together to advance a clinical candidate, which Basilea will then progress through clinical development.
DrTerry Roemer, Chief Scientific Officer of Prokaryotics, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with Basilea on this program with the goal to develop a mechanistically novel class of broad-spectrum antifungals for patients suffering from life-threatening infections.
"It is estimated that serious fungal infections cause ~1.7 million deaths worldwide annually – a number comparable to deaths caused by tuberculosis or malaria. The emerging resistance to existing antifungal drugs only exacerbates this threat and underscores the need for new antifungal agents with novel modes of action distinct from current clinically used drugs. This partnership perfectly aligns Prokaryotics' expertise and passion for discovering novel anti-infectives with Basilea's exceptional leadership in advancing novel drugs to the market."
Pamela Demain, CEO of Prokaryotics, added: "It is a pleasure to join with Basilea in the development of novel antifungals for the benefit of patients worldwide. Basilea is a worldwide leader in this important therapeutic area which makes them an ideal partner for Prokaryotics."
Dr Laurenz Kellenberger, Chief Scientific Officer of Basilea, emphasized the collaboration’s importance: "There remains a significant unmet medical need for safe, effective, and easy to administer antifungals, with activity against priority pathogens. This partnership underscores Basilea's continued commitment to addressing these needs.
"We look forward to working together, combining Prokaryotics expertise in anti-infective drug discovery and Basilea's capabilities to advance novel drugs to the market."
Under the terms of the agreement, Basilea will provide an undisclosed upfront payment and near-term milestone payments to Prokaryotics.
After the selection of a clinical candidate, Basilea will lead clinical development and global commercialization under an exclusive license. Prokaryotics stands to receive up to $48.5 million in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus tiered low single-digit royalties on global net sales.
