AMR Centre to partner with US biotech company

The AMR Centre at Alderley Park has signed a co-development deal with a US biotech company.

The research and development facility, which specialises in antibiotics and diagnostics, has partnered with Massachusetts-based clinical-stage drug development company Microbiotix Inc.

As part of the agreement, the two will combine resources and leverage their antimicrobial R&D expertise to accelerate the development of Microbiotix's T3SS inhibitor project. The AMR Centre will provide up to $1.1m (£810,900) of technical support, alongside $1.6m (£1.18m) of further funding.

Dr Pete Jackson, executive director of the AMR Centre, said: "We are pleased to be working with Microbiotix to help address the critical, unmet need for therapies targeting drug resistant gram-negative bacteria.

"This is very much a co-development and as such our UK-based scientists are actively working on what candidates to take forward. We believe that this innovative project, which targets a World Health Organisation Priority 1 and ESKAPE pathogen, has the potential to reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance."

Terry Bowlin, president and chief executive of Microbiotix, added: "This agreement with the AMR Centre will significantly accelerate our ability to deliver a pre-clinical candidate."