Basilea Receives Additional BARDA Funding for Antibiotic Development

Basilea Pharmaceutica has secured an additional USD 5.4 million in funding from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to further develop its novel oral antibiotic, ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil. The antibiotic is being developed to treat complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis, particularly those caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

This latest award brings the total BARDA funding for Basilea to USD 30.8 million. The overall contract holds potential for up to USD 172 million in non-dilutive funding. Ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil has already received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for both complicated and uncomplicated urinary tract infections, though it remains investigational and is not yet approved for commercial use.

The drug candidate is a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) combination. This class of drugs is considered crucial for addressing the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, as it aims to restore the efficacy of antibiotics against bacteria that have developed resistance mechanisms, such as the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) by Gram-negative pathogens.

Basilea, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland, focuses on severe bacterial and fungal infections. The company seeks to fill a critical unmet need for new oral treatment options for cUTIs, for which effective treatments against resistant Gram-negative bacteria are limited. Basilea has previously launched two hospital brands, Cresemba and Zevtera.