Infex Therapeutics Secures £4.3M to Advance Anti-Virulence Therapy RESP-X Following Phase 2a Trial Completion
核心洞察
Infex Therapeutics (搜索) raised £4.3 million in funding led by venture capitalist Jon Moulton to advance its pipeline of novel anti-infectives targeting antimicrobial resistance (搜索).
The company completed a Phase 2a trial for RESP-X, a first-in-class anti-virulence monoclonal antibody targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa (搜索) infections in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (搜索) patients.
RESP-X represents a potential breakthrough for patients with drug-resistant P. aeruginosa colonization, as there are currently no approved preventative treatments for this vulnerable population.
British biotech Infex Therapeutics (搜索) has secured £4.3 million in funding to advance its pipeline of novel anti-infectives, with particular focus on preparing RESP-X for later-stage clinical development following completion of an encouraging Phase 2a trial. The financing round was led by prominent venture capitalist Jon Moulton, with participation from the GM&C Life Sciences Fund (搜索) and existing high-net-worth investors.
RESP-X Targets Critical Unmet Need in Bronchiectasis
RESP-X, also known as INFEX702, represents a first-in-class anti-virulence monoclonal antibody in-licensed from Shionogi (搜索) that targets Pseudomonas aeruginosa (搜索) virulence mechanisms linked to tissue damage and immune system evasion. The therapy addresses a significant unmet medical need in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (搜索) (NCFB), a chronic respiratory disease where P. aeruginosa colonization drives recurrent, potentially life-threatening exacerbations.
P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic, multidrug-resistant pathogen that poses particular risks to immunocompromised patients and those in intensive care units. Currently, there are no approved preventative treatments for NCFB patients with P. aeruginosa colonization, making RESP-X a potentially transformative therapy for this vulnerable population.
The company recently completed a Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating RESP-X's safety, dosing, and early efficacy in NCFB patients. Results from this trial will be presented in a late-breaking abstract at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 20, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.
Expanding Pipeline Beyond Lead Asset
Beyond RESP-X, the funding will enable Infex to expand its MET-X program, a broad-spectrum metallo-beta-lactamase (搜索) (MBL) inhibitor targeting Gram-negative Enterobacterales. These WHO critical-priority pathogens produce MBL enzymes that inactivate beta-lactam antibiotics such as meropenem, driving severe drug-resistant infections (搜索). MET-X works by inhibiting these enzymes, potentially restoring the activity of existing antibiotics.
Infex has established a clinical development partnership with Indian pharmaceutical company Venus Remedies (搜索) to explore MET-X's potential. Under this exclusive license agreement announced in February 2025, Venus will conduct clinical development of MET-X in combination with meropenem in India, initially in healthy volunteers followed by a Phase 2/3 trial in patients with drug-resistant complicated urinary tract infections (搜索).
The company is also advancing a first-in-class BamA inhibitor (搜索) program in collaboration with Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (搜索), supported by PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy) funding. BamA (搜索) represents a novel target essential for Gram-negative bacterial survival that was previously considered undruggable. The inhibitor works by disrupting bacterial membrane function, weakening bacterial defenses and enabling infection clearance.
Strategic Vision for AMR Leadership
"This funding represents strong validation of our progress in developing novel anti-infectives to address the critical global threat of antimicrobial resistance (搜索)," said Dr. Peter Jackson, CEO of Infex Therapeutics (搜索). "It enables us to advance RESP-X toward later stage clinical development, expand our MET-X programme, and advance our broader preclinical pipeline of first-in-class approaches targeting highly resistant Gram-negative pathogens."
Jon Moulton, who serves as Chair of Infex Therapeutics (搜索), expressed confidence in the company's approach: "Infex's lead programme RESP-X is approaching a critical inflection point with upcoming phase IIa results, and we strongly believe it will be a life-changing future first therapy for NCFB patients with drug resistant Pa colonisation."
The company sees significant expansion opportunities for RESP-X beyond NCFB, including potential applications in cystic fibrosis (搜索), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (搜索), and acute hospital infections. This broad therapeutic potential, combined with the urgent need for new antimicrobial treatments, positions Infex at the forefront of addressing one of healthcare's most pressing challenges.