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Centauri Therapeutics Receives an Additional $5.1M from CARB-X to Progress ABX-01 Lead Compound to First in Human Clinical Trials

via Business Wire
  • CARB-X provides an additional $5.1M to complete the non-clinical safety and efficacy studies with ABX-01 lead candidate
  • Centauri plans the progression of lead candidate, an immunotherapy based broad-spectrum antimicrobial, to a first in human clinical study in early 2026
  • CARB-X’s additional funding brings their financial support to date for the Alphamer platform and lead compound non-clinical development to $12.3M

Centauri Therapeutics Limited (‘Centauri’ or ‘the Company’), an immunotherapy company with a unique and proprietary platform technology applicable across a wide range of therapeutic indications, announced today that CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) has provided an additional $5.1M in funding for the development of their lead compound. The funds will contribute to the advancement of the lead candidate in Centauri’s ABX-01 programme into first in human clinical studies, and this latest funding brings CARB-X’s total support from 2019 to date to $12.3M.

Centauri announced the selection of its first clinical candidate in the ABX-01 programme in March 20251. The candidate is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial specifically selected to combat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Based on the Company’s proprietary Alphamer® platform, it is designed to target serious Gram-negative bacterial infections in the lung, expanding therapeutic options for the most vulnerable patients. It employs a dual mechanism of action, combining immunotherapeutic effects through complement fixation and phagocytosis with intrinsic antibacterial properties, within a single molecule. Early efficacy studies have demonstrated the compound’s activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

“The unwavering scientific and financial support from CARB-X has provided stability to Centauri as a company, expanded understanding of our Alphamer platform, and enabled us to progress the ABX-01 programme from discovery, through early development, and is now providing a smooth and continuous path towards First in Human clinical studies,” said Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Chief Executive Officer, Centauri Therapeutics. “We are thankful for CARB-X and their continued engagement and confidence, which has allowed us to move a step closer to delivering a much needed therapeutic for serious, drug-resistant Gram-negative infections, even in the most clinically vulnerable patients.”

Dr. Erin Duffy, Chief of Research and Development, CARB-X, commented: “We have been proud to support Centauri, beginning with answering key questions on the approach and continuing with the drug discovery that has led to the lead asset of ABX-01 and its progression towards building a dossier to support its advancement into first in human clinical trials.”

CARB-X’s funding for this project is provided in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under agreement number: 75A50122C00028, and by awards from Wellcome (WT224842), and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CARB-X or any of its funders.

  1. Press Release (4th March, 2025): Centauri Therapeutics selects first clinical candidate, for immunotherapeutic treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections

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