Sorrento said that the grant was awarded to support the its program to generate and develop novel antibody therapeutics and vaccines to combat Staphylococcus aureus (S aureus or Staph) infections, including methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), by disrupting quorum sensing, a bacterial communication process essential to virulence.
The Phase I grant is for $300,000 annually for two years, with the possibility of Phase II funding of $1m per year for up to 3 years.
Sorrento’s MRSA program targets specific auto-inducing peptides (AIPs) central to the quorum sensing system of S aureus, which induces bacterial virulence. Masking these AIPs leads to a disruption of bacterial communication (quorum quenching) and suppresses virulence.
In recommending the grant application for funding, expert panel reviewers noted that targeting quorum sensing and the virulence factors of S aureus represented a paradigm shift, which could result in fewer side effects than conventional drug therapies, said the company.
Antonius Schuh, chairman and CEO of Sorrento, said: “It is clear that the NIH is highly motivated to fund novel approaches to tackling the serious healthcare burden of MRSA. We believe our program to develop potential vaccines and antibody therapeutics against MRSA holds great clinical promise because of the high morbidity and mortality caused by this pathogen and the limited treatment options available today.”
Charlie Rodi, vice president of research and development at Sorrento, said: “We believe that the use of quorum sensing signal molecules as targets for the development of vaccines and antibody therapeutics using our proprietary technology platform is a novel and promising approach to combat a serious public health issue.
“We look forward to working with our colleagues at The Scripps Research Institute and Montana State University in developing novel antibody therapeutics and vaccines against MRSA.”