Christoffer Vogsen Heidtmann
Due diligence, Commercial, and Scientific Acceleration of a Gram-negative Antibiotic Drug Discovery Project
Applicant
Christoffer Vogsen Heidtmann
Project drescription
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an imminent threat to global health. Alarmingly, we are now seeing bacterial infections that have almost no, if any, effective treatments left. This is the case for third‑generation cephalosporin‑resistant (3GC) and carbapenem‑resistant enterobacteria (CRE) such as K. pneumoniae and E. coli, which are currently ranked 1st and 2nd on the WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens list.
This is because, to treat the patients infected by these, we fully rely on the latest generation of penicillin-derived antibiotics (beta-lactams) that kill the bacteria by weakening their cell wall. However, resistance is emerging towards these last-resort antibiotics and their mechanism of action, leaving these patients without a cure.
To help these patients in dire need, our team is in the early process of discovering a new antibiotic based on the natural product, Pleuromutilin, which kills bacteria by a new mechanism in the 3GC/CRE space (protein synthesis inhibition), crucially coupled with both low resistance and high clinical safety.
With SPARK, we will gain the mentorship and resources needed to define a clear commercial and clinical strategy from the outset, as well as for the drug-property evaluation of our most promising compounds, paving the way for attracting funding for further development (hit-to-lead).
Institution
University of Southern Denmark