Debiopharm Group and TCG Lifesciences to develop new class of antibiotics
Targeting drug-resistant bacteria for hospital-acquired infections
Debiopharm Group, a Switzerland-based global biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development of prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs, including oncology and companion diagnostics, is to collaborate with TCG Lifesciences (TCGLS), a contract research services company based in Kolkata, India on the development of antibiotics targeting drug-resistant bacteria for hospital-acquired infections.
Under the terms of the agreement, financial terms of which have not been disclosed, TCGLS will contribute its expertise in the discovery and optimisation of lead compounds while Debiopharm will provide drug development knowhow and funding.
'We are very enthusiastic about this partnership with TCGLS for the development of novel antibiotics, their extensive experience in medicinal chemistry and infectious diseases is a major asset for the development of Debio 1348. This partnership is key to us to establish a leadership position in the area of antibiotics,' said Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, President and Founder of Debiopharm Group.
Swapan Bhattacharya, Managing Director of TCG Lifesciences, added that the programme involves a challenging new target that could potentially address nosocomial infections.
'Debiopharm’s developmental expertise combined with our medicinal chemistry capabilities and efficient discovery operations provide an attractive opportunity for accelerated discovery of novel drug candidates for clinical development,' he said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly two million people in the US acquire an infection while in a hospital each year, resulting in 90,000 deaths. More than 70% of the bacteria that cause these infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics commonly used to treat them.