Cheshire based AMR Centre has announced a landmark agreement with Japanese pharma company Shionogi for the development of a new antibiotic for the treatment of ‘superbugs.’
The new program, COT-143, does not kill bacteria directly but targets an element that prevents the immune system from acting against the infection.
It has already produced encouraging results in pre-clinical studies and regulatory toxicology tests in preparation for first-in-human clinical trials.
The AMR Centre will further develop the program and is in discussions about conducting phase one and phase two clinical trials at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital in 2020.
With the completion of this agreement, The AMR Centre, which is based at Alderley Park, Cheshire, will hold the exclusive worldwide right of research, development and manufacturing of COT-143.
Shionogi, a global business with headquarters in Osaka, will share in revenues if the project progresses to market.
Dr Peter Jackson, executive director of the AMRC, said: “COT-143 is an advanced program that has produced very promising data against a dangerous pathogen that has a great deal of natural resistance to antibiotics.
“So we are very pleased to have reached this agreement and to be able to progress the high-quality science produced by Shionogi. This is also a milestone for the AMRC as it’s the first program we will get into clinic and tested in people.
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“We have already had exploratory talks with the Royal Liverpool team about the clinical strategy for COT-143.
“Our dwindling supply of antibiotics continues to pose a grave threat to global health. Projects such as COT-143 are an example of excellent research struggling to progress in the context of market failure around the development of new antibiotics. Our role is to bridge that gap and get these programs moving forward.”
Yoshinori Yamano, PhD, a chief scientific officer for infectious diseases, of Shionogi said: “We are pleased to collaborate with AMR Centre which has a function to promote clinical development of novel anti-infective agents by utilizing various foundations and medical networks.”