Bacterial antibiotic resistance: Antabio and the IPBS collaborate to accelerate the development of anti-virulence strategies against chronic infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a major threat to human health. Indeed, it is estimated that antibiotic resistance will be responsible for 10 million deaths per year in 2050, if this threat is not controlled with better treatments. In this context, Antabio and the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (CNRS, University of Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier) will collaborate to accelerate the development of innovative anti-virulence strategies to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common pathogen in chronic respiratory infections that has developed significant resistance to current antibiotics. This 2-year project received a support of more than € 700,000 from the Région Région Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée and the FEDER (European Regional Development Fund).
Antabio and the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS) share common goals in the fight against bacterial infections. Antabio is a private biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibacterials targeting drug-resistant pathogens, while the IPBS aims to identify and characterize novel therapeutic targets in the field of infectious diseases.
This collaboration between Antabio and the TRI-IPBS Imaging Core Facility, member of the TRI-Genotoul network, aims to identify biomarkers for the mode of action of anti-virulence drugs that target biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa using high resolution optical microscopy. This research and development program will be funded by the Région Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée and the FEDER (European Regional Development Fund).
“This collaboration is a unique opportunity to develop high resolution microscopy strategies to assess the efficacy of drugs against bacterial biofilm formation”, explains Antonio Peixoto, Head of the TRI-IPBS Imaging Core Facility.
“Antabio is dedicated to developing novel antibacterial treatments to address drug-resistant infections caused by World Health Organization’s priority pathogens. The complementary skills brought by TRI-IPBS and Antabio into this collaboration have the potential to accelerate the development of truly innovative treatments for cystic fibrosis patients suffering from chronic respiratory infections by P. aeruginosa, a major unmet medical need”, said Marc Lemonnier, CEO of Antabio.
Contacts
Press: Françoise Viala (communication@ipbs.fr)
IPBS contact: Antonio Peixoto (Antonio.peixoto@ipbs.fr)