Clarametyx Biosciences Inc., a clinical stage company developing targeted, immune-enabling biologic therapies to counter persistent infections associated with biofilms, announced the successful completion of a $33 million Series A round. The proceeds from the round will enable the company to accelerate efforts across its pipeline, including specifically to evaluate the potential of Clarametyx’s lead therapeutic candidate CMTX-101 to combat infection in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs.
Clarametyx was launched in 2020 to advance a novel, immune-enabling antibody technology licensed from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The non-antibiotic and pathogen-agnostic approach is designed to target and remove universal structural elements within the bacterial biofilm, with the goal of rapid biofilm collapse that renders bacteria vulnerable to immune or antibiotic intervention. The company is evaluating its anti-biofilm technology in both therapeutic and preventive settings to address the global challenge of persistent bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance.
“We graciously welcome our new investors and appreciate the continued commitment of our existing investors. This successful raise enables us to expand our clinical evaluations of a platform that we believe will address critical unmet needs in infectious disease management,” says David Richards, Chief Executive Officer. “We are especially grateful for the support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to evaluate this technology’s promise to improve the lives of people with cystic fibrosis, a population particularly vulnerable to persistent bacterial infections. We believe this research will further support the broad applicability of this first-in-class technology.”
In coordination with the fundraising, Clarametyx has initiated a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial evaluating its lead candidate, CMTX-101, in people with CF. This study will evaluate the safety and tolerability, PK, immunogenicity, reduction of pulmonary P. aeruginosa burden, and exploratory endpoints of CMTX-101 as an adjunct therapy to standard of care antibiotics in people with CF. More information on the study is available at ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/) using the identifier NCT06159725.
In addition to new support from the CF Foundation, the Series A financing was led by the Ohio Innovation Fund, with participation from current investors Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Rev1 Ventures, JobsOhio Growth Capital, C Bio Investors and 1776 Fund.
“Global health authorities continue to raise alarms about persistent bacterial infections and the rise in antimicrobial resistance associated with overuse of antibiotics,” adds William Baumel, Managing Director of lead investor Ohio Innovation Fund. “There is a clear and urgent need for novel technologies that can enhance the effectiveness of today’s antibiotics to address these challenging infections, and the Clarametyx technology represents a compelling strategy that we can propel into broader clinical studies to serve this need.”
