Acurx Pharmaceuticals Secures New Patent for DNA Polymerase IIIC Inhibitors Targeting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
核心洞察
The USPTO granted Acurx Pharmaceuticals patent US 12,534,470 covering DNA Polymerase IIIC inhibitors, including compositions-of-matter, methods of use, and pharmaceutical compositions.
The patent strengthens Acurx's intellectual property portfolio, bringing their total to four U.S. patents plus international patents in Israel, Japan, India, and Australia.
The company's lead candidate ibezapolstat is Phase 3-ready for C. difficile infection treatment, while preclinical compounds show potential for systemic absorption and broader bacterial infections.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted Acurx Pharmaceuticals a new patent for its DNA Polymerase IIIC inhibitors, marking a significant milestone for the late-stage biopharmaceutical company's efforts to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The patent, designated US 12,534,470, covers compositions-of-matter, methods of use, and pharmaceutical compositions related to these novel inhibitors.
Expanding Intellectual Property Portfolio
This latest patent represents the most recent addition to Acurx's expanding intellectual property estate. The company has now secured four U.S. patents, along with granted patents in Israel, Japan, India, and Australia, all protecting key aspects of the ACX-375C program targeting DNA Polymerase IIIC. Additional country-level patent applications remain under review.
Robert J. DeLuccia, Executive Chairman of Acurx, emphasized the strategic importance of this patent grant: "Achieving this new patent extends our patent estate protection as we further develop our innovative, AI-supported drug discovery platform. We believe Acurx's inventions have the potential to create a transformational shift in the treatment paradigm for serious and potentially life-threatening infections."
Novel Mechanism of Action
DNA Polymerase IIIC inhibitors represent a new class of small molecule antibiotics designed with a Gram-positive selective spectrum (GPSS®). These compounds work by blocking the active site of the Gram-positive specific bacterial enzyme DNA polymerase IIIC, inhibiting DNA replication and leading to bacterial cell death. This mechanism addresses antibiotic resistance by targeting an enzyme critical for bacterial replication.
Recent microbiome selectivity data on representative novel compounds from Acurx's preclinical pipeline provides initial evidence that microbiome selectivity, when compared to the comparator antibiotic linezolid, may be a class effect of these inhibitors.
Clinical Development Progress
Acurx's lead product candidate, ibezapolstat, is Phase 3-ready for oral treatment of C. difficile infection and has validated the bacterial target for DNA pol IIIC inhibitors. The company has plans in progress to begin international clinical trials as soon as possible.
Beyond the lead compound, initial studies of new preclinical compounds demonstrate systemic absorption potential for both oral and parenteral use in various clinical settings. These applications include acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSI, including MRSA (搜索)), community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), hospital and/or ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP), bacteremia with or without sepsis and/or infectious endocarditis, bone/joint infections, prosthetic joint infections, and inhalational anthrax caused by B. anthracis, a Bioterrorism Category A Threat-Level pathogen.
Targeting Critical Pathogens
The company's R&D pipeline focuses on antibiotic product candidates that target Gram-positive bacteria, including several high-priority pathogens: Clostridioides difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA (搜索)), vancomycin resistant Enterococcus (VRE (搜索)), drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP), and B. anthracis (anthrax).
Acurx's preclinical pipeline includes development of an oral product candidate for treatment of ABSSSI, with a parallel development program for treatment of inhaled anthrax being planned. This comprehensive approach addresses multiple critical areas of unmet medical need in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.