Amprologix, a spin-out of the University of Plymouth, has won a £1.2 million contract from the UK Department of Health and Social Care to accelerate the development and scale-up of its lead antibiotic candidate, Epidermicin NI01.
The funding, administered by Innovate UK, is intended to advance Epidermicin NI01 – part of a new family of epidermicin-based antibiotics – ready for Phase I clinical trials by early 2021.
Established last year, Amprologix was created to develop and commercialise the work of Mathew Upton, Amprologix CSO and Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Plymouth.
Epidermicins are a new class of antibiotics capable of tackling MRSA and related superbugs at very low doses, relying on Ingenza’s biologics manufacturing platform to enable viable production at scale.
The funding will enable Amprologix to optimise the formulation of Epidermicin NI01 as a cream to decolonise the nasal cavity of MRSA – thereby preventing spread and infection – as well as conducting a preclinical toxicology evaluation.
Professor Upton said: “Epidermicin has excellent potential for use in nasal decolonisation to prevent skin and wound infections, like those caused by MRSA. Development of NI01 could have immense benefits for patients, so I’m genuinely excited about this work and generating the data needed to enter Phase I trials.”
Dr Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director of Ingenza, added: “Our advanced biologics manufacturing technologies have been developed to address exactly this kind of critical unmet therapeutic need. Our platform will underpin the future success of this exciting new family of potent and selective antimicrobials.”
