News
GNA NOW Consortium announces positive results for the late preclinical development of the first-in-class antibiotic NOSO-502
The GNA NOW Consortium, which Lygature proudly coordinates, has reached an important milestone with the completion of the GLP toxicology studies for its NOSO-502 program. The results allow for the further development of the program to Phase 1.
NOSO-502 is being developed by Consortium partner Nosopharm and is the first clinical candidate in the new class of antibiotics called Odilorhabdins. Discovered by Nosopharm from a Xenorhabdus bacteria, NOSO-502 is a first-in-class antibiotic that has the potential to treat life-threatening multidrug-resistant infections.
Read the full press release here
About antimicrobial resistance and GNA NOW
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern, costing an estimated 1.27 million lives in 2019, with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens accounting for 59% of these deaths[1]. It’s the silent pandemic – the tsunami you don’t see coming – declared by the WHO as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. Gram-negative bacteria are widely regarded as the main culprit representing the gravest danger to patients. There is currently a lack of new agents able to address AMR in Gram-negative bacteria, especially compounds with novel modes of action. Finding and developing such compounds represents a huge scientific challenge, one that requires the collaboration of stakeholders with different kinds of expertise.
Established in 2019, the GNA NOW Consortium (Gram-Negative Antibacterials NOW), led by Evotec as a European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) representative, is focused on addressing this gap in the AMR space by progressing new classes of Gram-negative antibiotics from lead optimization to the completion of Phase I clinical trials.
The role of Lygature
GNA NOW is a joint initiative of 11 partners from industry and academia, coordinated by Lygature. The Consortium contributes to Lygature’s mission of accelerating the development of new treatments with important medical needs and a high societal impact. Lygature provides extensive management capabilities and expertise as a custodian of trust, helping move the multi-stakeholder research project forward.
Dr Kristina Orrling, Global Health Lead at Lygature in charge of coordinating the GNA NOW Consortium says: “Any acceleration that can be offered in terms of raising awareness of AMR and producing better drugs and treatments for patients will prove very important for saving lives. The field is still quite dispersed – we need to bring more people together. This is where Lygature can make a real difference. By establishing the right connections and collaborations, as we have done in GNA NOW, we can achieve better health outcomes faster, bringing health innovations to the most vulnerable on earth.”
Acknowledgment of support
The project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 853979. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.
For more information, and a full overview of all partners involved, visit the GNA NOW webpage.
[1] The Lancet, February 2022: Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0