Fewer than 400 small companies worldwide are developing new antibiotics, and most lack the funding and expertise to get their products to patients. CARB-X is a global accelerator that identifies the most promising antibacterial projects—treatments, preventatives, and diagnostics—and provides the money and scientific guidance those teams need. The portfolio targets the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, as listed by the CDC and WHO, and spans early research through early-stage clinical trials. After five years of operation, CARB-X has a track record of moving projects forward so they attract follow-on funding from other public or private sources. If this continues, the pipeline of new antibiotics will not collapse, and patients will have more options against infections that are becoming harder to treat. This is not fundamental science; it is a structured effort to keep a fragile drug-development system from failing.
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The overall objective of this proposal is to build and accelerate the early development of a globally relevant, scientifically diverse portfolio of antibacterial projects (treatments, preventatives and diagnostics) with scientific/drug development and portfolio management rigor ensuring the most efficient and effective use of funding to deliver clinically valuable projects that, upon graduation from CARB-X, increase the likelihood of securing follow-on funding from private or public funders for advanced-development activities. The strategy, scope and budget to guide investment priorities will be set by the JOC but is expected to continue to include the most important bacterial pathogens highlighted on the CDC Threat/WHO Priority Pathogen Lists and include projects from early- to clinical-stages of development and will be refined from time-to-time based on strategic review update processes. The antibacterial preclinical pipeline is in the hands of less than 400 small enterprises. With 5 years of unprecedented success, CARB-X is uniquely poised to identify the most promising programs, provide what these teams lack (funding and gaps in their expertise), and to manage the resulting portfolio to protect us all from drug-resistant infections. We look forward to working with you in the years to come to bring products to patients.
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