Summit Therapeutics upbeat on latest DDS-04 data
By Josh White
Date: Monday 15 Apr 2019
(Sharecast News) - Antibiotic innovation firm Summit Therapeutics reported on in vivo proof-of-concept data for the DDS-04 series of new mechanism antibiotics targeting enterobacteriaceae on Monday, having presented them at the 29th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Amsterdam.
The AIM-traded company described enterobacteriaceae as a family of gram-negative bacteria responsible for a large number of "severe and often deadly" infections.
In the data presented, it said a DDS-04 series compound cured infection in a translationally-relevant animal model of urinary tract infection - one of the major sites for enterobacteriaceae infection.
Therapeutic concentrations of the DDS-04 compound were also observed in other major sites in the animal model where life-threatening enterobacteriaceae infections occurred, including the lungs and the bloodstream.
"Patients with enterobacteriaceae infections are increasingly at risk for poor outcomes due to the spread of antimicrobial resistance," said Summit's president of research and development, Dr David Roblin.
"Mainstay treatments are losing their effectiveness, and patients do not have the luxury of time to fail antibiotic therapy.
"There is a pressing need for new, targeted enterobacteriaceae antibiotics that can serve to improve patient outcomes."
The company said the DDS-04 series acted via 'LolCDE' - a novel bacterial target.
It said the LolCDE site of DDS-04 series activity was conserved in the majority of therapeutically-important enterobacteriaceae, resulting in targeted spectrum compounds.
With its new mechanism of action, the DDS-04 series was "rapidly bactericidal" and "highly potent" across globally-diverse enterobacteriaceae strains in research studies, Summit explained, which included multi-drug resistant isolates.
Importantly, it said the DDS-04 series also showed low propensity for resistance development and did not show cross-resistance with existing classes of antibiotics, suggesting that DDS-04 compounds had the potential to overcome known resistance mechanisms.
That profile made the DDS-04 series attractive for further development for the treatment of enterobacteriaceae infections, the board said.
"The DDS-04 series aligns with our antibiotic strategy," said Summit Therapeutics chief executive officer Glyn Edwards.
"There is a clear opportunity to improve patient outcomes and a need for new mechanisms to deliver these improved outcomes and also to help address the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
"We look forward to gathering further data to support the selection of a preclinical candidate from the DDS-04 series."
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