Centauri, an immunotherapy company, announced that CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) has provided an additional $5.1M in funding for the development of their lead compound.
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The funds will contribute to the advancement of the lead candidate in Centauri’s ABX-01 programme into first in human clinical studies, and this latest funding brings CARB-X’s total support from 2019 to date to $12.3M.
Centauri announced the selection of its first clinical candidate in the ABX-01 programme in March 2025. The candidate is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial specifically selected to combat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Based on the Company’s proprietary Alphamer platform, it is designed to target serious Gram-negative bacterial infections in the lung, expanding therapeutic options for the most vulnerable patients. It employs a dual mechanism of action, combining immunotherapeutic effects through complement fixation and phagocytosis with intrinsic antibacterial properties, within a single molecule. Early efficacy studies have demonstrated the compound’s activity against Gram-negative bacteria.
“The unwavering scientific and financial support from CARB-X has provided stability to Centauri as a company, expanded understanding of our Alphamer platform, and enabled us to progress the ABX-01 programme from discovery, through early development, and is now providing a smooth and continuous path towards First in Human clinical studies,” said Dr. Jennifer Schneider, chief executive officer, Centauri Therapeutics. “We are thankful for CARB-X and their continued engagement and confidence, which has allowed us to move a step closer to delivering a much needed therapeutic for serious, drug-resistant Gram-negative infections, even in the most clinically vulnerable patients.”
Dr. Erin Duffy, chief of research and development, CARB-X, said: “We have been proud to support Centauri, beginning with answering key questions on the approach and continuing with the drug discovery that has led to the lead asset of ABX-01 and its progression towards building a dossier to support its advancement into first in human clinical trials.”