The Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) recently announced an immediate investment of $24 million and up to $24 million in additional, milestone-based payments over three years to accelerate the development of new antibiotics and diagnostics to treat diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
CARB-X is one of the largest public-private partnerships dedicated to accelerating innovation in antibacterial research and development. The organization was launched by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is primarily funded by BARDA and the Wellcome Trust.
Payments will go to 11 different biotech companies and research teams throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
“By accelerating promising research, it is our hope that we can speed up the delivery of new effective antibacterials, vaccines, devices and rapid diagnostics to patients who need them,” CARB-X Executive Director Kevin Outterson said. “The projects in the new Powered by CARB-X portfolio are in the early stages of research, and there is always a high risk of failure. But if successful, these projects hold exciting potential in the fight against the deadliest antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”
The funds represent one of the first projects the organization has funded. CARB-X plans to fund up to $450 million in projects over five years with a goal of developing at least 20 new antibacterial products and progressing at least two new products into human trials during that time.
“With CARB-X, we built on our track record of innovative partnerships to enhance national security preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, and today CARB-X began accelerating novel antibacterial products and technologies from early stage development toward the clinic,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said.