BOSTON — Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm has received an additional $12.3 million in funding from CARB-X, a global nonprofit partnership focused on combating antibiotic resistance. The funding will support the continued development of Debio 1453, a first-in-class antibiotic designed to treat infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium responsible for gonorrhea.
The grant builds on an earlier $7.9 million award from CARB-X that helped advance Debio 1453 through preclinical development. With this new support, Debiopharm aims to bring the antibiotic candidate into Phase I human trials. A second tranche of funding will be considered based on milestone achievements, potentially bringing CARB-X’s total investment in the program to more than $20 million.
“We’re pleased to receive this additional commitment from CARB-X, which validates our strong preclinical data for treating gonorrhea,” said Morgane Vanbiervliet, Director of Global Development and Licensing at Debiopharm. “This support is critical to advancing a novel treatment approach that can address the rising threat of multi-drug-resistant gonorrhea.”
Debio 1453 targets the FabI enzyme essential to bacterial fatty acid synthesis, offering a new mechanism of action distinct from current antibiotics. It has demonstrated rapid, bactericidal activity in both lab and animal models, and shows promise in combating strains of N. gonorrhoeae that have become resistant to nearly all existing treatments.
Gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, has become increasingly difficult to treat due to growing resistance. In 2023, the U.S. recorded over 600,000 reported cases, while the EU/EEA saw a 31% increase from the previous year, with nearly 97,000 confirmed cases. The World Health Organization ranks new antibiotics for N. gonorrhoeae as a top public health priority, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies drug-resistant gonorrhea as an urgent threat.
“Debio 1453 represents an innovative response to a serious and growing public health challenge,” said Dr. Erin Duffy, Chief of R&D at CARB-X. “We’re excited to continue supporting Debiopharm as this promising antibiotic moves into clinical trials.”
The CARB-X funding is made possible through support from multiple international partners, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Wellcome Trust, Germany’s BMBF, the UK’s GAMRIF, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
