CARB-X FUNDS UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CLASS OF LAST-RESORT ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT DEADLY SUPERBUG INFECTIONS

CARB-X is awarding up to US$3.83 million to The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Australia, to develop a new class of antibiotics to treat serious drug-resistant bacterial infections. The Institute will be eligible for an additional $7.03 million if the project meets certain development milestones, for a total award of up to $10.86 million.

The University of Queensland’s project aims to identify Octapeptin cyclic peptides that maintain their antibacterial potency against polymyxin-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, but have fewer side effects.  The goal is to develop a safer antibiotic to replace last-resort polymyxin class antibiotics, such as colistin, that are used to treat life-threatening drug-resistant infections for which no other antibiotics will work. Last-resort polymyxin class antibiotics can cause severe kidney and neurological side effects.