Auspherix gets $1m in financing

Anti-infectives company Auspherix has secured $1 million in financing from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund.

Auspherix is developing antibacterial compounds with activity against a panel of clinical isolates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Its lead program is being conducted in collaboration with Domainex. The investment will be used to refine the lead compound series and screen them in in vivo models in collaboration with Evotec.

Auspherix was founded in 2013 by Professor Ian Charles, director of the UTS ithree institute. Auspherix’s head of biology, ithree fellow Dr Dagmar Alber, collaborated with Charles on the founding IP. The company has now appointed medicinal chemist Dr Ian Holmes as head of chemistry.

“It is now widely recognised that we desperately need to find new ways to combat infectious diseases including resistant bacterial infections,” Charles commented.

“At Auspherix we are making rapid advances in optimising potential antibacterial compounds with completely novel chemical structures which, if successful, will deliver the drugs needed to keep the threat from superbugs in check.”

He said the company plans to rapidly seek further investment and/or industry partnerships to help move its antibiotics into the clinic.