Vast Therapeutics, which recently changed its name from Novoclem Therapeutics, has announced that its BIOC51 dry powder nitric oxide (NO)-release formulation reduced the bacterial load of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in the lungs of mice by 99% in a study conducted with Colorado State University.
According to the company, BIOC51 has eradicated every bacterial pathogen tested in in vitro testing, including 24 strains of P. aeruginosa and 35 strains of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” The FDA granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation to BIOC51 in November 2017, shortly after the company changed its name from KNOW Bio to Novoclem.
Vast CEO Neal Hunter explained the latest name change as a reflection of a broader focus by the company: “Our original name was related to a specific goal in cystic fibrosis. While we remain dedicated to CF as our initial indication, our results point toward a much broader capability in the respiratory and general anti-infective spaces.”
Hunter commented, “We are thrilled to have taken the next step in confirming the power of our technology. The coupling of in vivo results with apparently being the first in the world to achieve this breadth of in vitro eradication exceeds our expectations. It heightens our responsibility to move our druggable nitric oxide into the clinic. Ultimately, we will likely choose to selectively partner this technology to address many potential applications for other patients in need. We look forward to making a difference in reducing the bacterial burden in patients with lung infections, particularly for those in critical need, like patients with cystic fibrosis.”
Vast Therapeutics President and Chief Scientific Officer Mark Schoenfisch said, “We are excited to have BIOC51 perform at the levels proved in our study. Achieving a 99% reduction in bacterial count and exceeding the performance of standard of care antibiotics validates our in vitro testing results. Furthermore, the study confirms that our drug was delivered safely without observable adverse side effects.”
Schoenfisch added, “Our timed released drug candidate is more effective than conventional antibiotics and gas-based NO therapies, both of which have efficacy and ease-of-use limitations. In particular, today’s drugs are susceptible to antibiotic resistance because they generally function via a single mode of action that bacteria mutate to overcome. We believe our water-soluble powder-based drug candidate avoids this mode of resistance due to the innate characteristics of NO itself and its multiple modes of action.”
Read the Vast Therapeutics press release.
