ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fimbrion Therapeutics, Inc. announced that under its joint research collaboration with GSK, researchers have identified an orally available, small molecule development candidate for the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Fimbrion and the Discovery Partnerships with Academia (DPAc) team at GSK began their joint research efforts in July of 2016.

The newly identified clinical candidate is a mannose-containing small molecule that targets an adhesive protein in bacteria called FimH. This novel drug candidate represents a new strategy for treating bacterial infections by preventing the bacteria that cause UTIs from sticking to the walls of the bladder, thus allowing the body to naturally eliminate the infection. Since this mannose-containing compound does not kill bacteria, it potentially could treat and prevent UTIs without inducing antibiotic resistance.

"We are thrilled to have hit this candidate selection milestone with GSK," Dr. Scott Hultgren, co-founder and board member of Fimbrion, said. "Our collaboration demonstrates the true power of working together in the face of the imminent antibiotic resistance crisis—combining great science from academic research, the energy of an entrepreneurial start-up, and the expertise and resources of a world leading global healthcare company to deliver a new antimicrobial therapy." Dr. Hultgren is the principal investigator for the collaboration with GSK, and he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine.

Gram-negative bacteria are the primary cause of UTIs. Options for treating UTIs and other Gram-negative bacterial infections have become increasingly limited due to the increase in antibiotic resistance. More than twenty million UTIs occur each year in the US.

About DPAC - Discovery Partnerships with Academia (DPAc) is an innovative approach to drug discovery. As a unit within GSK's research and development organization, DPAc is dedicated to creating highly collaborative relationships with leading academic researchers to develop new medicines that truly benefit patients. The concept is to bring together the insight and creativity of the academic world with the drug discovery expertise, capabilities and resources needed to make a medicine.

About Fimbrion Therapeutics, Inc.  Fimbrion Therapeutics, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company based in St. Louis, MO founded in 2012 by Scott Hultgren, Ph.D., James Janetka, Ph.D., and Thomas Hooton, M.D from intellectual property licensed from Washington University. Fimbrion's mission is to discover, develop, and commercialize antimicrobial-sparing, first-in-class anti-virulence drugs for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, including drug-resistant strains. Fimbrion has an active pipeline of antimicrobial strategies to combat bacterial infections. (www.fimbrion.com)

Fimbrion research reported in this press release was partially supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number R44AI106112. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Fimbrion Contact:
Scott J. Hultgren, Ph.D.
Fimbrion Therapeutics, Inc.
20 S. Sarah St
St. Louis, MO 63108
hultgren@fimbrion.com

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SOURCE Fimbrion Therapeutics, Inc.