Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that Big Pharma has largely abandoned. Several startups are filling this void, and the new ArrePath has novel molecules with a different approach that can overcome the challenge of drug resistance.The young company has emerged $20 million in seed funding.
ArrePath was founded by Princeton University biology professor Zemer Gitai, whose research focuses on the cell biology of bacteria. The research includes applying quantitative tools to antibiotic discovery. Gitai and colleagues discovered a single compound with two mechanisms of action that together provide anti-infective activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Equally important, the compound provides antibiotic activity without causing resistance.The study is post In the 2020 issue of Cell. According to the paper, the compound was superior to combination therapy in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In addition, derivatives of this molecule showed efficacy against gonorrhea in mouse models.
“This promising antibiotic lead shows that combining different [mechanisms of action] On a single chemical scaffold could be an underappreciated approach to targeting challenging bacterial pathogens, the scientists wrote.
Founded late last year, ArrePath is currently housed at the Princeton Innovation Center Biolab, the university’s joint lab and office space for tech startups. The company said it discovered new antibiotic compounds through “bacterial autopsies,” in which the behavior of bacteria when exposed to new molecules is decoded. This approach sheds light on the biological mechanisms of action of potential drugs. The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, combined with imaging, to identify, optimize and rapidly develop its novel anti-infective drug candidates. These molecules have a different mechanism of action compared to existing products, the company said.
In addition to the new funding, ArrePath also announced the appointment of Lloyd Payne as the startup’s CEO. Payne most recently served as executive vice president and head of anti-infectives at the German biotech company Evotec. Before that, he was the founder and CEO of Euprotec, an anti-infective drug discovery and development biotechnology company acquired by Evotec in 2014. Payne said in a prepared statement that the funding enables ArrePath to advance its lead compound and expand the startup’s discovery efforts. The company will also strengthen the use of its imaging platform and machine learning in drug research.
The seed round was co-led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Insight Partners and Innospark Ventures. Other participants include Viva BioInnovator, Arimed Capital, PTX Capital and Nor’easter Ventures.
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