New TB Drugs Urgently Needed to Replace Treatments Designed in the 1960s
Dallas, Texas/ New York, September 27, 2006 -- Cumbre Pharmaceuticals Inc, a Dallas-based biopharmaceutical company, and the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), a public-private partnership developing affordable new TB drugs, today announced plans to pursue a joint program to develop new, promising anti-tuberculosis agents.
Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will work on the design, synthesis and optimization of two different classes of multi-functional antibiotics. The collaboration will utilize Cumbre’s unique antibiotic discovery and development technical platform to deliver novel antibiotic compounds. The TB Alliance will have exclusive rights to these compounds for the treatment of tuberculosis and other neglected diseases, while Cumbre will retain the rights to pursue compounds for use in other infectious disease areas.
"We are very excited to work with the TB Alliance on this program," said Dr. Simon Lynch, Cumbre’s Director of Research. "This agreement not only serves as a validation of Cumbre’s core antibiotic discovery and development platform, but also provides an opportunity to explore the potential of two different classes of multi-functional antibiotics for their utility in a wide variety of infections, including bacterial diseases, like tuberculosis, which are under-served by the mainstream pharmaceutical industry."