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news.Evotec has extended an existing collaboration with Spero Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, aimed at discovering and developing new and ground-breaking therapeutics for Gram-negative bacteria to treat serious infections and address the growing threat to global public health resulting from antibiotic resistance.
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Under the terms of the agreement, Evotec will complement Spero’s capabilities by providing early-stage research support for key projects such as Spero’s Potentiator programme which is focused on increasing the potency of existing drugs against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
Infections resulting from Gram-negative bacteria is an area that has been without novel therapeutics or approaches in more than fourty years.
In addition, Spero will direct Evotec’s in vitro and in vivo infectious disease capabilities to advance its MvfR programme which focuses on two highly important bacterial processes, virulence and persistance. The collaboration includes substantial research funding to Evotec and runs to the end of 2016.
No further financial details were disclosed.
Evotec COO Mario Polywka said: "We are delighted to continue to work in this expanded fashion with Spero in the important fight against multi-drug resistance shown in bacterial infections. This programme highlights Evotec’s unique capabilities in infectious disease and the ongoing success of the 2014 acquisition of Euprotec."
Spero Therapeutics founder and CEO Ankit Mahedevia said: "Spero continues to pioneer ground-breaking approaches to treat serious infections; Evotec’s support has been essential in our efforts to develop multiple new therapeutic class of medicines."