U.S. Funds Antibiotics Work At AstraZeneca …

The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) and AstraZeneca will develop drugs with dual uses in treating antibiotic-resistant infections and illnesses caused by bioterrorism agents. BARDA will provide $50 million up front and up to $170 million in total over five years to support a portfolio of drug candidates. A combination of two existing antibiotics, aztreonam and avibactam, that AstraZeneca is testing in Phase II clinical trials will become the program’s first candidate. Earlier this year AstraZeneca said it plans to spin off its antibiotics discovery efforts. In 2013, BARDA set up a similar program with GlaxoSmithKline. BARDA and GSK have since advanced an antibiotic toward Phase III trials.