Centauri Therapeutics Secures $5.1M Boost from CARB-X to Advance Novel Antimicrobial into Clinical Trials

Centauri Therapeutics, a UK-based biotechnology company specialising in immunotherapy, has received an additional $5.1 million from the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) to accelerate the development of its lead antimicrobial compound, ABX-01. 

This latest award brings CARB-X’s total financial commitment to Centauri’s ABX-01 programme to $12.3 million since 2019. The initiative is part of CARB-X’s global mission to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a crisis projected by the World Health Organization to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if left unchecked.

Centauri announced the selection of its first clinical candidate for ABX-01 in March of this year. The broad-spectrum antimicrobial is designed to address multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, particularly in the lungs of severely ill and immunocompromised patients. These infections are among the most difficult to treat and represent a significant cause of hospital-acquired mortality worldwide.

ABX-01 is built on Centauri’s proprietary Alphamer^® platform, which merges two distinct antimicrobial strategies into a single molecule. The compound not only directly kills bacteria but also enlists the body’s immune system, using mechanisms such as complement fixation and phagocytosis to clear the infection. This dual-action approach could represent a breakthrough in dealing with drug-resistant pathogens, particularly given the dwindling pipeline of effective new antibiotics.

Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Chief Executive Officer of Centauri Therapeutics, underscored the importance of the partnership with CARB-X, commenting that “The unwavering scientific and financial support from CARB-X has provided stability to Centauri as a company, expanded understanding of our Alphamer platform, and enabled us to progress the ABX-01 programme from discovery, through early development, and is now providing a smooth and continuous path towards First in Human clinical studies. We are thankful for CARB-X and their continued engagement and confidence, which has allowed us to move a step closer to delivering a much needed therapeutic for serious, drug-resistant Gram-negative infections, even in the most clinically vulnerable patients.”

From an industry perspective, the ABX-01 programme is notable because of its focus on Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii. These pathogens are infamous for their resistance to multiple drug classes, including carbapenems — often considered antibiotics of last resort. Few experimental therapies in development address Gram-negative infections effectively, and those that do often suffer from limitations such as poor safety profiles or limited spectrum of activity.

Dr. Erin Duffy, Chief of Research and Development at CARB-X, emphasised the organisation’s long-standing support for Centauri: “We have been proud to support Centauri, beginning with answering key questions on the approach and continuing with the drug discovery that has led to the lead asset of ABX-01 and its progression towards building a dossier to support its advancement into first in human clinical trials.”

While pre-clinical results have been promising, the true test will come in human studies, where safety, tolerability, and efficacy in severely ill patients will need to be demonstrated.

If ABX-01 meets these milestones, it could become one of the most important additions to the limited arsenal against Gram-negative superbugs in decades. As AMR continues to rise, successes like this will be essential not only for individual patients but also for global health security.