Curza Secures $5.25M Funding to Advance Novel Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics Against Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria

On July 25, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that Curza, a small-molecule drug development company, announced the completion of a $5.25 million financing round. The proceeds from this round will be used to advance the company’s novel CZ-02 program targeting multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections. The round was led by REPAIR Impact Fund, a subsidiary of the venture capital firm Novo Holdings.

Headquartered in Utah, USA, with an office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Curza is a small-molecule drug development company. The company is dedicated to developing novel therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and has developed several patented drugs targeting infectious diseases and tumors. Curza’s lead program focuses on the development of a new class of broad-spectrum antibiotics, primarily targeting ESKAPE pathogens (a collective term for “superbugs” including Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter) and drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs pose a serious threat to global healthcare, with Gram-negative bacterial infections considered among the most severe. The partnership with the REPAIR Impact Fund will help Curza accelerate the development of novel antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacteria. As resistance in “superbugs” continues to rise, developing new antibiotics has become an urgent priority.

Biofilms can cause severe infections in the human body. Examples of biofilm-associated infections include tuberculosis, diabetic ulcers, Lyme disease, medical device-related infections, osteomyelitis, chronic skin wounds, and infections associated with cystic fibrosis. Infections caused by biofilms may be more difficult to treat than those caused by planktonic bacteria. These infections are often unresponsive to conventional antibiotics and frequently recur after patients discontinue antibiotic therapy.

Currently, drug-resistant pathogens are responsible for mortality rates approaching 50% in certain types of infections. With the global rise in hospital-acquired and drug-resistant infections, there is an urgent need for novel antibiotics. Curza is developing a series of new antibiotics specifically designed to kill and eradicate bacteria on biofilm surfaces.

These antibiotics have expanded their antimicrobial spectrum from solely Mycobacterium tuberculosis to include other drug-resistant strains, such as ESKAPE pathogens. They inhibit protein synthesis at nanomolar concentrations, with a selectivity index of up to 1,000 for inhibiting bacterial versus mammalian protein synthesis.

“We are delighted to partner with Novo Holdings, as both our companies are committed to bringing novel antibiotics to market to combat the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Novo’s support for Curza will enable us to accelerate the development of new antibiotics,” said Ryan Davies, CEO of Curza.

The REPAIR Impact Fund, established by Novo Holdings in 2018 and headquartered in Denmark, aims to support biotechnology startups in developing therapies to combat antibiotic resistance. At its inception, the Life Science Investment Group provided $165 million in funding to the fund, with the REPAIR Impact Fund committing to invest in approximately 20 projects across the United States and Europe over a three- to five-year period.

(Compiled by Cheng Tao)