$18 Million Awarded to Develop Bacterial Infection Vaccines

Massachusetts-based CARB-X announced it is funding the GSK Biologicals and its affiliate GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), based in Siena, Italy, to develop new vaccines to prevent serious infections caused by two different pathogens, for which there are no U.S. FDA authorized vaccines.

Together, the two awards could be worth potentially more than $18 million if project milestones are met, subject to available funding.

GSK’s two vaccine projects in the preclinical stage target the prevention of the following:

• Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) infections, commonly known as Strep Throat, a major reason for antibiotic prescriptions and cause of immune-mediated diseases. The CARB-X award is worth up to $8.2 million, plus up to an additional $4.2 million if the project meets certain milestones.
• Infections caused by Salmonella enterica, which cause Invasive nontyphoidal salmonellosis (iNTS) disease and typhoid fever, major causes of death among children and significant health challenges primarily in sub-Saharan African countries. Salmonella enterica is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as among those bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. The CARB-X award is for $2.2 million to support the development of this new vaccine. If project milestones are met, the project could be eligible for up to $4.0 million in additional funding.

“Vaccines are powerful weapons in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Vaccines not only prevent infections, but they also reduce the need for antibiotics, helping to curb the spread of drug resistance,” commented Erin Duffy, R&D Chief of CARB-X, in a press statement.

The WHO estimates that 700,000 people die each year from antibiotic-resistant infections, including 35,000 in the US and 33,000 in Europe. 

CARB-X is a non-profit global partnership led by Boston University and dedicated to supporting the development of innovative therapeutics, preventatives, and diagnostics to address antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The CARB-X portfolio is the world’s largest and most diverse antibacterial R&D portfolio with 54 active projects focused exclusively on drug-resistant bacteria. Since its launch in 2016, CARB-X has announced 80 awards worth more than $299.8 million, with the potential of additional funds if project milestones are met.