Venatorx Pharmaceuticals
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, founded in June 2010, focuses on developing novel anti-infectives to treat multi-drug-resistant bacterial and hard-to-treat viral infections. Their lead asset, cefepime-taniborbactam, has completed a Phase 3 study for complicated urinary tract infections and is under FDA review.
Company Overview
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, founded in June 2010, focuses on discovering and developing novel anti-infectives to treat multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections and hard-to-treat viral infections. The company has built a world-class in-house research and development organization and holds over 120 patents.
Lead Asset: Cefepime-Taniborbactam
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals' lead investigational asset, cefepime-taniborbactam, is an antibiotic that recently completed a Phase 3 study in adults with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis. The New Drug Application for cefepime-taniborbactam is under FDA review. This lead asset has received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations from the FDA and is being developed for treating cUTIs as well as hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP).
Products in Development
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals is also developing an oral BL/BLI antibacterial, ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil, which is progressing directly to a global Phase 3 clinical trial for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). This product has shown positive results in Phase 1 clinical trials and targets infections caused by drug-resistant Enterobacterales.
Funding and Partnerships
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals has secured significant funding from organizations such as Wellcome Trust, BARDA, CARB-X, DTRA, and NIAID. In 2022, BARDA awarded a Project Bioshield contract worth up to $318 million for the development and procurement of cefepime-taniborbactam. The company has also received equity investments from Abingworth, the AMR Action Fund, BioAdvance, Foresite Capital, and Versant Ventures. Venatorx has entered into license and/or collaboration agreements with Everest Medicines, GARDP, and Roche.
Research and Development Efforts
Venatorx Pharmaceuticals is committed to advancing both antiviral and antibacterial discovery-stage programs. The company is working on developing a novel class of non-beta-lactam Penicillin Binding Protein (PBP) inhibitors. Venatorx's ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil development is supported by a BARDA contract specifically for treating cUTIs.