Centauri Therapeutics (“Centauri”) is an immunotherapy company active in oncology and infectious diseases.
Centauri Therapeutics (“Centauri”) is an immunotherapy company active in oncology and infectious diseases.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one the greatest threats faced by our generation and this has been highlighted repeatedly by the most senior health figures in the UK and abroad. Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, recently described AMR as a “catastrophic threat” that requires urgent action in the way of novel antibiotics. This view has been mirrored by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in the United States, which has been a leader in the fight against AMR for over a decade, investing over $1.1bn to support novel antibiotic candidates.
What is clear is that the historic challenges with antibacterial commercialisation have contributed to the antibiotic pipeline crisis that we are now faced with and that new business models are required if we are to have sufficient antimicrobial drugs to address emerging resistance threats. As BARDA and others have stated, we need bold ideas that can stimulate breakthrough innovation and novel modalities that can deliver a step change in efficacy and outcomes which provide a compelling case for pharma, payers and healthcare providers.
This is where Centauri Therapeutics comes in. We fully appreciate the business challenges that hinder investment into AMR and we are committed to addressing this urgent public health crisis through our differentiated platform, which has the potential to address the most urgent bacterial threats. This is achieved through the utilisation of one of the most powerful tools that our bodies possess: the immune system. We are able to address these threats via a versatile platform that can be expanded to the needs of future medical practice; not just with broad spectrum products but also in a highly specific manner such that there is the least ‘collateral damage’ to the human microbiome.. We hope to deliver these benefits by capitalizing on the power and specificity of the immune system.
Looking ahead to what a future commercialized therapy might look like, the overarching question to address is how to overcome the hurdles and save lives? The investment challenge that Dr. Rick Bright from BARDA highlights is real and without the commitment from high net worth investors and the UK government, we would have not been able to get our program as far as we have.
Even if investors and pharma companies are not focused on the threat of AMR, the one area where we are seeing progress is a changing pricing and reimbursement environment. Regulators and payors have recognised the mismatch between exceptional medical advances and the lack of market incentives. Technologies that have novel mechanisms, which are targeting particularly difficult to treat infections in vulnerable patient groups and can demonstrate cost effectiveness, will be well positioned to capture these changing market dynamics. For example, the recent publication of the five-year National Action Plan and 20-Year Vision from the UK Department of Health will go a long way to changing the understanding the value generated by newer antibiotics and help everyone move toward more appropriate reimbursement models.
BARDA was one of the original investors in antibiotics and their recognition of the business challenges is an important one for the industry at large. This is evidenced by the multiple investments that they have made in Phase 2 and 3 anti-infectives projects. Alongside BARDA, Innovate UK, CARB-X, IMI, and GARDP and others, contribute to an increasing number of incentives for the development of novel antibiotics. However, there remains a disconnect between the risks and rewards and this hampers efforts to genuinely tackle this ticking timebomb. If we do not act now, we may find ourselves in a position when it’s too late and lives are lost.
Mike Westby
Chief Executive Officer
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Notes to editors
Centauri Therapeutics
Centauri Therapeutics is an immunotherapy company focused on oncology and infectious diseases. Centauri’s proprietary Alphamer™ platform is protected by a portfolio of patents and enables the discovery and development of multiple candidate molecules. All projects harness a powerful and clinically validated immune mechanism which redirects naturally existing antibodies to treat life-threatening diseases.
For further information, please contact:
Centauri Therapeutics
Mike Westby
Chief Executive Officer
+44 1304 728610
For media enquiries:
Consilium Strategic Communications
Matthew Neal, Angela Gray
+44 (0) 20 3709 5700
