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news.Quark Venture and GF Securities have invested $25m in Microbion to advance a new class of drugs that combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
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Microbion, co-located in Vancouver, BC and Bozeman, MT, is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the treatment of hard to treat and antibiotic-resistant infections.
Microbion's lead compound, MBN-101, is the first in a new class of products to treat infections by attacking both bacteria and related microbial biofilms.
Among other advancements, this investment will enable Microbion to initiate and complete a Phase 1B/2A study in diabetic foot ulcer infections evaluating both safety and efficacy endpoints including eradication of infections and of biofilms.
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted MBN-101 Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designations for adjunctive treatment of moderate and severe diabetic foot ulcer infections.
Quark Venture CEO Karimah Es Sabar said: "Globally, there is a pressing need to develop new antibiotics for serious, antibiotic-resistant, bacterial and fungal infections. Our investment advances Microbion's novel and potentially revolutionary strategy to treat a variety of human infections.
"To date, Microbion's lead compound, MBN-101, has demonstrated the ability to eradicate biofilms, which, along with bacterial infections, are considered one of the main causes of impaired healing in chronic wounds."
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at least 80 percent of human infections involve bacterial pathogens growing as microbial biofilms, a relatively recently recognized and extremely resilient form of microbial life.
Karim Lalji, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Microbion Pharma, said: "This significant investment from one of the world's largest global health sciences venture funds validates our lead compound and strategy and allows us to advance our product line by answering important clinical questions in treating anti-biotic resistant infections.
"In addition to proceeding with a Phase 1B/2A study in diabetic foot ulcer infections, this investment enables us to continue Phase 2a trial in orthopaedic infections as well as to advance development of an inhaled formulation of MBN-101 to treat cystic fibrosis related infections."
