ABOUT
NEW CLASSES OF ANTIBIOTICS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED
Between 1930 and 1962 there were more than 20 novel classes of antibiotics discovered. Since then only two new classes have been marketed. Analogue development of existing classes has been the mainstay for the last several decades, and this strategy has proven to be reasonably effective until recently. The emergence of widespread resistance has rendered entire classes of antibiotics ineffective and physicians are now left with little to no treatment options. Hence, novel classes of antibiotics are urgently needed as a way forward to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are rapidly spreading across the globe.
WHY THEY STARTED FORGE THERAPEUTICS
Forge Therapeutics was started to discover and develop novel classes of antibiotics. They are employing their proprietary chemistry technology to discover novel small molecule inhibitors of bacterial metalloenzymes. The scientists at Forge have identified novel lead compounds ready for advancing through lead optimization activities toward clinical studies. Working with their partners at
Evotec,
CARB-X,
NIH/NIAID,
Basilea, and
Roche they will accelerate these activities in a highly scientific manner aiming to develop novel classes of antibiotics that address several of the bacteria on the CDC urgent threat list including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas.
