Kinvard Bio Inc., a biotechnology company developing next-generation class of broad-spectrum antibiotics, has announced that it has been awarded USD 2.7 million follow-on non-dilutive funding from CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator), a global non-profit partnership accelerating antibacterial innovation to protect lives from bacterial infections.

The funding will support advanced lead optimisation efforts aimed at delivering a preclinical development candidate. Subject to the achievement of defined milestones, Kinvard Bio may be eligible for additional funding to advance the program through IND-enabling studies and into early clinical development, the company said in a statement.

Kinvard Bio was founded on research from the Myers Lab at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University. The company integrates rational drug design with its proprietary synthetic chemistry platform to develop a differentiated class of ribosome-targeting antibiotics known as oxepanoprolinamides (OPPs).

These molecules are structurally preorganised for optimal engagement within the bacterial ribosome and are designed to overcome a wide range of pre-existing resistance mechanisms. Kinvard Bio is now advancing a pipeline of novel oral and intravenous small molecule antibiotics aimed at treating some of the most difficult-to-manage acute and chronic bacterial infections, including respiratory infections, complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), and nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD).

This collaboration with CARB-X will accelerate the advancement of Kinvard's OPP program targeting high-priority pathogens responsible for serious lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). By focusing on these urgent clinical needs, Kinvard aims to bring forward novel solutions to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in both hospital and community settings.

Erin Duffy, R&D Chief of CARB-X commented, “Kinvard Bio's efforts to build a fully synthetic novel inhibitor of the bacterial ribosome, a clinically validated target, may confer several advantages against resistance because of the novelty in chemistry. The fact that the ribosome is a multigene target offers the potential to slow resistance development. This, coupled with an emphasis on the properties that will deliver an oral antibiotic, drives our enthusiasm for supporting the optimisation of this class towards a new antibiotic for serious infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.”

Lloyd Payne, Chief Executive Officer of Kinvard Bio remarked, “Bacterial infections remain one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease, and the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance is eroding the effectiveness of our existing antibiotics. Our collaboration with CARB-X provides not only critical non-dilutive funding, but also access to a global network of expertise that will help accelerate this important program toward providing urgently needed treatment options for patients who need it most.”