Summit Therapeutics plc Summit Presents In Vivo Proof Of Concept Data For New Mechanism Antibiotics Targeting Enterobacteriac...

 
TIDMSUMM 
 
   Summit Therapeutics plc 
 
   ('Summit' or the 'Company') 
 
   Summit Presented In Vivo Proof of Concept Data for New Mechanism 
Antibiotics Targeting Enterobacteriaceae in Oral Session at ECCMID 2019 
 
 
   -- DDS-04 Series Cures Enterobacteriaceae Infection in Animal Model 
 
   -- Potential in Lung, Bloodstream and Urinary Tract Infections 
 
   -- Activity Shown Against Resistant and Non-Resistant Strains 
 
   -- Enterobacteriaceae are Gram-Negative Bacteria that Cause a Large Number 
      of Serious Infections 
 
 
   Oxford, UK, and Cambridge, MA, US, 15 April 2019 -- Summit Therapeutics 
plc (NASDAQ: SMMT, AIM: SUMM), a leader in new mechanism antibiotic 
innovation, presented in vivo proof of concept data for the DDS-04 
series of new mechanism antibiotics targeting Enterobacteriaceae in an 
oral session at the 29(th) European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & 
Infectious Diseases ('ECCMID') in Amsterdam. 
 
   Enterobacteriaceae are a family of Gram-negative bacteria responsible 
for a large number of severe and often deadly infections. In the data 
presented, a DDS-04 series compound cured infection in a 
translationally-relevant animal model of urinary tract infection, one of 
the major sites for Enterobacteriaceae infection. Therapeutic 
concentrations of the DDS-04 compound were also observed in other major 
sites in the animal model where life-threatening Enterobacteriaceae 
infections occur, including the lungs and the bloodstream. 
 
   "Patients with Enterobacteriaceae infections are increasingly at risk 
for poor outcomes due to the spread of antimicrobial resistance," said 
Dr David Roblin, President of R&D of Summit. "Mainstay treatments are 
losing their effectiveness, and patients do not have the luxury of time 
to fail antibiotic therapy. There is a pressing need for new, targeted 
Enterobacteriaceae antibiotics that can serve to improve patient 
outcomes." 
 
   The DDS-04 series acts via LolCDE, a novel bacterial target. The LolCDE 
site of DDS-04 series activity is conserved in the majority of 
therapeutically important Enterobacteriaceae, resulting in targeted 
spectrum compounds. With its new mechanism of action, the DDS-04 series 
was rapidly bactericidal and highly potent across globally diverse 
Enterobacteriaceae strains in research studies, which included 
multi-drug resistant isolates. Importantly, the DDS-04 series also 
showed low propensity for resistance development and did not show 
cross-resistance with existing classes of antibiotics, suggesting that 
DDS-04 compounds have the potential to overcome known resistance 
mechanisms. This profile makes the DDS-04 series attractive for further 
development for the treatment of Enterobacteriaceae infections. 
 
   "The DDS-04 series aligns with our antibiotic strategy. There is a clear 
opportunity to improve patient outcomes and a need for new mechanisms to 
deliver these improved outcomes and also to help address the spread of 
antimicrobial resistance," commented Mr Glyn Edwards, Chief Executive 
Officer of Summit. "We look forward to gathering further data to support 
the selection of a preclinical candidate from the DDS-04 series." 
 
   A copy of the presentation is available in the Publications section of 
the Company's website: 
https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=zF4OB7j7d6pSYP5Hg971LbjESS33LaZG5ArPp_57zfxJy8rR-_zzVA-Fkbbkp1Nyg9i2Qyb3rtxtHtD-vGKTKHqK5XJl97UGupr75mg7wpY= 
www.summitplc.com. 
 
   About Enterobacteriaceae 
 
   Enterobacteriaceae are a family of Gram-negative bacteria responsible 
for severe and often deadly infections. They account for a significant 
fraction of cases across conditions, including complicated urinary tract 
infections, bloodstream infections and hospital-acquired pneumonias. 
Summit estimates there are more than 1 million infections in the US 
annually caused by Enterobacteriaceae across these three settings. 
Increasing resistance of Enterobacteriaceae has rendered many marketed 
antibiotics ineffective against these bacteria. Two of the most alarming 
antibiotic resistance trends are extended-spectrum beta-lactamase 
(ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and carbapenem-resistant 
Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). ESBL is an enzyme that allows bacteria to 
become resistant to a wide variety of penicillin and cephalosporin 
antibiotics. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae account for an estimated 
26,000 infections annually in the US with 1,700 deaths, according to the 
US Centers for Drug Control and Prevention ('CDC'). CRE are resistant to 
nearly all existing antibiotics, including carbapenems which are 
considered the antibiotics of last resort. CRE account for an estimated 
9,000 infections per year in the US and 600 deaths, according to the 
CDC. 
 
   About Summit Therapeutics 
 
   Summit Therapeutics is a leader in antibiotic innovation. Our new 
mechanism antibiotics are designed to become the new standards of care 
for the benefit of patients and create value for payors and healthcare 
providers. We are currently developing new mechanism antibiotics for 
infections caused by C. difficile, N. gonorrhoeae and ESKAPE pathogens 
and are using our proprietary Discuva Platform to expand our pipeline. 
For more information, visit www.summitplc.com and follow us on Twitter 
@summitplc. 
 
   This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of 
Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (MAR). 
 
   Contacts 
 
 
 
 
Summit 
Glyn Edwards / Richard Pye (UK office)     Tel:                  44 (0)1235 443 951 
Michelle Avery (US office)                                          [phone] 
 
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated 
 Adviser)                                  Tel:                 [phone] 
Liam Murray / Tony Rawlinson 
 
N+1 Singer (Joint Broker)                  Tel:                 [phone] 
Aubrey Powell / Jen Boorer, Corporate 
 Finance 
 Tom Salvesen, Corporate Broking 
 
Bryan Garnier & Co Limited (Joint Broker)  Tel:                 [phone] 
Phil Walker / Dominic Wilson 
MSL Group (US)                             Tel:                     [phone] 
                                                         mailto:[e-mail] 
Jon Siegal                                                      [e-mail] 
                                                  --------------------------------- 
 
Consilium Strategic Communications (UK)    Tel:                 [phone] 
Mary-Jane Elliott / Sue Stuart / Jessica          mailto:[e-mail] 
 Hodgson /                                         [e-mail] 
                                                  --------------------------------- 
Lindsey Neville 
 
 
   Summit Forward-looking Statements 
 
   Any statements in this press release about the Company's future 
expectations, plans and prospects, including but not limited to, 
statements about the clinical and preclinical development of the 
Company's product candidates, the therapeutic potential of the Company's 
product candidates, the potential commercialisation of the Company's 
product candidates, the sufficiency of the Company's cash resources, the 
timing of initiation, completion and availability of data from clinical 
trials, the potential submission of applications for marketing approvals 
and other statements containing the words "anticipate," "believe," 
"continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," 
"potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "would," and 
similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the 
meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual 
results may differ materially from those indicated by such 
forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, 
including: the uncertainties inherent in the initiation of future 
clinical trials, availability and timing of data from ongoing and future 
clinical trials and the results of such trials, whether preliminary 
results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of 
that trial or whether results of early clinical trials or preclinical 
studies will be indicative of the results of later clinical trials, 
expectations for regulatory approvals, laws and regulations affecting 
government contracts and funding awards, availability of funding 
sufficient for the Company's foreseeable and unforeseeable operating 
expenses and capital expenditure requirements and other factors 
discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of filings that the Company 
makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 
Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended 31 
January 2019. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on 
forward-looking statements or information. In addition, any 
forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the 
Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be 
relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent 
date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any 
forward-looking statements included in this press release. 
 
   -END- 
 
 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 15, 2019 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)

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