Atox Bio secures contract worth $24 million for development of AB103 to treat NSTI Materials and Products

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded Atox Bio, a clinical stage company developing novel immunemodulators for severe infections, a contract worth around $24 million and 4.5 years for the development of AB103 to deal with Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections (NSTI) and probably infections induced by biothreats and public health threats that end in sepsis.

Over a base duration of 18 months, BARDA awarded the contract to Atox Bio for $4.4 million. Following option durations, if exercised by BARDA, would make the overall cost of the award to $24 million. The contract includes manufacturing activities, regulatory activities and a pivotal clinical trial of AB103 in patients with NSTI.

Discovered by Prof. Raymond Kaempfer and Dr Gila Arad of the Hebrew University, AB103 is a intelligently formed short peptide, that modulates the patient’s inflammatory response by binding to the CD28 dimer interface. It provides an exclusive access in the treatment of infectious diseases by modulating, but not inhibiting, the patient’s immune system. This method of focusing the host response rather than the pathogen has the capability to deduct the chance of fast generation of drug resistance and may facilitate a broad-spectrum approach to treat infections, separate of pathogen type.

According to Dan Teleman, CEO of Atox Bio - We are esteemed that BARDA has identified the capability of AB103, a novel host oriented therapeutic, to provide a new approach to treating serious infections where there are presently no approved therapies. We are aiming to work in full cooperation with BARDA to project the development of AB103 in NSTI and analyzing its capability in bioterror pathogens.

AB103 successfully finished a phase 2 examining in patients with NSTI which are unique, fast progressing infections that leads to significant tissue destruction and systemic disease turning into multiple organ dysfunctions. The results shows that patients treated with AB103 had a significant advancements throughout multiple end points. Patients treated with AB103 had a faster resolution of organ dysfunction, spent fewer days in the intensive care unit, needed fewer days of supportive ventilation and required fewer surgical procedures to take out infected tissue.

The first product particularly developed for NSTI, AB103 has received Orphan Drug status from the FDA and EMA and Fast Track designation from the FDA.

The BARDA contract comes in addition to up to $23 million funding that Atox Bio set up earlier in the year from SR One, OrbiMed and Lundbeckfond.