OXFORD, U.K. & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Summit Therapeutics plc recently received a grant of up to $4.5 million from the public-private partnership CARB-X to support Summit’s lead series of new mechanism antibiotic compounds for gonorrhea. Initially, Summit will receive $2 million in funding to support the selection of a preclinical candidate, which is expected in H2 2018. The other $2.5 million is divided into two option segments, which CARB-X can exercise if certain development milestones are reached.

 

“Drug-resistant gonorrhea is an urgent and growing public health problem around the world, affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people,” said Kevin Outterson, CARB-X’s executive director. “The world urgently needs new antibiotics, like those that Summit is developing, and other lifesaving products to protect us from drug-resistant bacteria.  The projects in the Powered by CARB-X portfolio are in the early stages of development, but if successful, they offer tremendous potential in the fight against superbugs.”