Discussing the state of antimicrobial resistance at a recent conference, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, made it clear that there is a significant need for new antimicrobial therapeutics.
Hospitals have now become hotbeds for highly resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), she said, and diseases that were curable, such as tuberculosis, are now are becoming harder and more complicated to treat. The lack of effective antibiotics can even make surgical procedures and certain cancer treatments too risky, even dangerous to undertake. Common occurrences such as strep throat or a child’s scratched knee could become lethal again, essentially, she said, the “end of modern medicine.”
Recognizing the critical unmet need for new antibacterial therapeutics, Cempra Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: CEMP) is pursuing the development of therapeutics targeting drug-resistant bacterial infections. With approximately $54.7 million raised from a recent IPO, including the overallotment option, the company plans to use the funds to advance its two late-stage programs.
A Phase 3 trial of lead therapeutic CEM-101 (solithromycin) for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP)is planned for later this year, and Cempra is also planning a Phase 2 trial for another antibiotic in development, Taksta™ (CEM-102), for treatment of prosthetic joint infections. The active compound in Taksta, fusidic acid, has a long history of safety and efficacy outside of the United States, with demonstrated activity against gram-positive bacteria, such as MRSA.
Russo Partners looks forward to building awareness of Cempra’s innovative antibacterial programs as they prepare to move into late-stage Phase 3 trials.
Read more about Cempra’s programs in the following article from News & Observer:
