Shionogi puts up to $600m behind BioVersys antibiotics
Japan's Shionogi has added to its antibiotics pipeline by partnering a preclinical-stage candidate from Swiss biotech BioVersys, which specialises in drugs that can counter antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Basel-based BioVersys stands to receive CHF 5 million upfront under the terms of the deal, which could be worth up to CHF 479 million (around $600 million) with milestones. In return, Shionogi gets an option to jointly develop the biotech's ansamycin platform, currently led by a candidate codenamed BV500.
BV500 is being developed for non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), a group of bacteria found in soil, water, and dust that, as its name suggests, does not include the organism that causes tuberculosis.
The group can cause serious infections affecting the lungs, skin, and other tissues like joints and bone, with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies (MAB) the most problematic pathogens, typically seen in people with underlying conditions like immunosuppression or chronic lung diseases like cystic fibrosis.
Ansamycins are a family of metabolites from the Actinomyces bacterial family that have been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a broad range of other bacteria, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Members of the class include rifamycins, which are already used to treat TB and other mycobacterial infections like leprosy.
At the moment, treatment of NTM infections is challenging due to variability in the response to antimicrobials and acquired resistance to treatment, along with treatment durations with current drugs that can extend to 12 months or more and side effects, said BioVersys.
BioVersys has come up with multiple high-potency, oral ansamycin candidates that have shown promise against NTMs and show no signs of cross-resistance with other antibiotics, like macrolides and aminoglycosides, that are currently used to treat these infections.
"This collaboration reduces research and development risk for BioVersys while preserving financial discipline," said BioVersys' co-founder and chief executive, Marc Gitzinger. "It also expands the reach of our pipeline and ensures the expedited development of our drug candidates."
He added that the company plans to start phase 3 trials of its lead drug BV100, a new formulation of rifabutin suitable for intravenous administration, which is being developed for serious hospital infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, a 'superbug' that is considered an 'urgent threat' by the CDC.
While there has been a massive reduction in the number of pharma companies working on antibiotic development in recent decades, in part because of the limited market for novel drugs that are typically reserved for last-line use in AMR cases, BioVersys is confident that there is a "clear and sustainable commercial opportunity" for its pipeline.
Earlier this year, the company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with a market capitalisation of CHF 216 million.
