Spexis, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on macrocycle therapeutics for rare diseases and oncology, has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd to for its preclinical program of antibiotics from a novel class targeting Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains. With an upfront payment of CHF 2 million to Spexis, this transaction is part of Spexis’ efforts to partner or divest non-core programs and assets as the company works through its moratorium status.
Infections by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) are a major challenge for healthcare professionals. Due to an additional outer cell membrane compared to Gram-positive bacteria, it is more difficult for antibiotics to get into the cell. In addition, this outer membrane carries lipopolysaccharides/endotoxins which induce inflammation and play an important amplifying role in the pathogenesis of infections by GNB and are therefore considered an important virulence factor. Moreover, GNB can acquire resistance to several classes of antibiotics such as carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and earlier-generation cephalosporins, making infections with GNBs particularly difficult to treat. In 2017, the World Health Organization published a list of 12 classes of priority bacterial pathogens that pose the greatest threat to human health, of which nine classes are Gram-negative.
Spexis' Outer Membrane Protein Targeting Antibiotics (OMPTA) program selectively disrupt the lipopolysaccharide transport bridge, an essential structure in Gram-negative bacteria. This results in a loss of the integrity of the outer cell membrane, intracellular accumulation of lipopolysaccharides and killing of the bacteria. Activity has been shown in vitro and in vivo against Enterobacteriaceae such as E. coli and K. pneumoniae, including strains resistant to beta-lactams and colistin, an antibiotic regarded as last-resort therapy. The program was funded in part by CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator), a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
Basilea, a commercial-stage bioparma company focusing on the development of severe bacterial and fungal infections, is acquiring all program compounds, know-how and intellectual property of OMPTA and is paying Spexis up to a total of CHF 2 million, which consists of an upfront payment, a payment related to the transfer of the assets to Basilea, and a potential final milestone payment related to the availability of near-term external funding for the further development of the program. In addition, Basilea assumes the rights and obligations of Spexis, including potential low single-digit percentage royalties on sales, under licensing agreements. The transaction is subject to approval by the Western District Court of the Canton Basel-Landschaft.
Jeff Wager, MD, Chairman & CEO of Spexis, said: “This transaction with Basilea underscores the power of our macrocycle platform as a drug discovery platform and its potential to generate products that can address significant unmet medical needs. Furthermore, from a corporate strategy perspective, this transaction represents a continuation of our focus to partner or divest programs and assets not central to our rare disease and oncology focus as we pursue an exit from our moratorium status. The assets sold to Basilea are a novel class of antibiotics discovered and optimized using Spexis’ proprietary macrocycle platforms and methodologies. In this case, the compounds derivatized target the lipopolysaccharide transport in Gram-negative bacteria, which have been highlighted by the World Health Organization as priority pathogens against which new antibiotics are urgently needed.”
Moving forward, Basilea will add OMPTA to its portfolio pipeline and continue its development. Currently, Basilea has successfully launched two hospital brands, Cresemba for the treatment of invasive fungal infections and Zevtera for the treatment of bacterial infections.
(Press release/RAN)
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