Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Allschwil, Switzerland, announced that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support the development of its novel oral antibiotic, ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil. The agreement follows the recent transfer of contract rights from Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from whom Basilea recently acquired the global rights to the investigational therapy.
The contract supports the advancement of ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil, a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) combination, for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis. These infections are often caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and effective oral treatment options remain limited.
Basilea CEO David Veitch expressed gratitude to BARDA for its continued support in the development of anti-infective therapies. He emphasized that ceftibuten-ledaborbactam has strong potential to address a significant unmet medical need by offering an oral treatment alternative for serious infections caused by resistant bacteria.
Under the terms of the agreement, Basilea will be reimbursed for a portion of the development costs associated with bringing the drug candidate to market, including upcoming Phase 3 clinical trials. The contract includes an initial non-dilutive funding amount of approximately $6 million, with the potential for up to $153 million in additional funding contingent on meeting specific development milestones.
The novation of the BARDA contract marks a key step in Basilea’s efforts to expand its anti-infectives portfolio and reinforces the company’s position as a leader in addressing drug-resistant bacterial infections.