Centauri Therapeutics Secures £6M from AMR Action Fund to Advance Novel Antibiotic CTX-187 Through Phase I Trials
Key Insights
Centauri Therapeutics (search) received £6 million from AMR Action Fund (search) to support completion of Phase I clinical studies for CTX-187 (search), a broad-spectrum antibiotic targeting multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (search).
CTX-187 (search) employs a dual-mechanism action combining immunotherapeutic effects through complement activation (search) and opsonophagocytosis (search) with intrinsic antibacterial activity, built on Centauri's proprietary Alphamer platform.
The investment extends Centauri's Series A funding round to £30 million and represents the 12th company to receive support from AMR Action Fund (search)'s $1 billion initiative to combat antimicrobial resistance (search).
British immunotherapy company Centauri Therapeutics (search) has secured £6 million ($8.1 million USD) from the AMR Action Fund (search) to advance its novel antibiotic candidate CTX-187 (search) through Phase I clinical trials. The investment extends the company's Series A funding round to £30 million and represents a significant milestone in addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (search).
Novel Dual-Mechanism Antibiotic Platform
CTX-187 (search) is built on Centauri's proprietary Alphamer platform, which harnesses the immune system to target pathogenic bacteria. The broad-spectrum antimicrobial is designed to treat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (search) through a dual mechanism of action that combines immunotherapeutic effects through complement activation (search) and opsonophagocytosis (search) with intrinsic antibacterial activity.
The compound was selected as Centauri's first clinical candidate in 2025 and is currently in development ahead of progressing to first-in-human clinical trials. This innovative approach represents a departure from traditional antibiotic development by incorporating immunotherapeutic mechanisms alongside direct antibacterial activity.
Strategic Investment and Development Timeline
The funding from AMR Action Fund (search) will support the completion of Phase I clinical studies and expand the scope of additional research activities in preparation for Phase II trials. Dr. Jennifer Schneider, CEO of Centauri Therapeutics (search), emphasized the significance of the investment: "This latest investment has enabled us a clear path to progress CTX-187 (search) beyond Phase I trials and onto the development of a Phase II-ready asset."
As part of the investment, Dr. Henni-Karoliina Ropponen, Venture Associate at AMR Action Fund (search), has been appointed to Centauri's Board of Directors, strengthening the strategic partnership between the organizations.
Addressing Critical Medical Need
The investment addresses what AMR Action Fund (search) CEO Dr. Henry Skinner describes as "one of the most pressing challenges in global health." He noted that "the growing burden of drug-resistant Gram-negative infections (search) is leaving patients with limited and increasingly ineffective treatment options."
Centauri represents the 12th company to receive funding from the AMR Action Fund (search), which was launched in 2020 with the ambitious goal of investing $1 billion in small and mid-sized biotech companies developing promising antimicrobial products. The fund is dedicated exclusively to investing in urgently needed antimicrobial therapeutics and diagnostics.
Company Background and Previous Funding
Centauri previously closed a £24 million Series A round in January 2022, with investment from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (search), Evotec SE, and Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund (search). The company has also received support from CARB-X (search) (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) since 2019, which helped advance the ABX-01 program from Lead Optimization to the Preclinical phase.
In 2024, Centauri was selected to receive a grant under the first round of PACE-AMR funding, further validating the potential of its antimicrobial development program. The company's Alphamer platform technology is described as applicable across a wide range of therapeutic indications beyond antimicrobials.