Novo Holdings invests over $10m in companies developing new antibiotics

Two pharmaceutical companies have collectively received over $10 million to help develop new antibiotics.

Small-molecule therapeutics company Curza received $5.25 million from the Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund to help accelerate its lead programme focusing on a new class of antibiotics targeting drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Curza’s chief executive officer Ryan Davies said: “Curza is very excited to be working with Novo Holdings. Both companies have a strong commitment to bringing new antibiotics to the market to combat the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria. Novo Holdings’ commitment to Curza allows the company to accelerate the development of a much-needed novel class of antibiotics.”

Additionally, $5 million was invested in Spero Therapeutics to help advance its SPR720 programme, an oral antibiotic being developed to treat non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections.

“Spero and Novo Holdings are both committed to addressing the growing, global problem of antibiotic resistance, and funding from this offering will provide additional capital to advance SPR720 and our robust pipeline of product candidates designed to combat antibiotic resistance,” said Ankit Mahadevia, Spero’s chief executive officer.

The investments were made following an investment round targeting North American companies developing novel anti-infectives.

Novo Holdings’ REPAIR Impact Fund was launched to help combat anti-microbial resistance (AMR), which has been stated by the World Health Organisation to be one of the world’s most pressing health threats.

Since its launch, the REPAIR Impact Fund has invested a total of $30 million in six companies developing anti-infective therapies. The fund’s goal is to invest $165 million into 20 companies developing therapies therapies to combat AMR.

Aleks Engel, director of the REPAIR Impact Fund, commented: “From the many high-quality proposals targeting the deadliest resistant pathogens on the planet, we are delighted to have invested in two highly promising companies and programs. Both investments are made into two small molecule programs. We would have liked to see more new modalities; however, the best science wins.  We are still considering one last project from the US/Canadian round and have already received nearly 40 new proposals from our second European round.  We are very grateful for all of them.”