FAB Pharma today announced the completion of a €2.3 million round of series A funding led by CDC innovation and co-led by Bioam Gestion.
FAB Pharma has acquired assets in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Mutabilis S.A. Severe infections caused by MRSA is a growing issue, especially in the hospital where it is one of the main causes of nosocomial infections. By definition, MRSA is resistant to a broad group of antibiotics. FAB Pharma's approach consists in developing a new class of low-molecular-weight antibacterial molecules which target a specific, essential enzyme in MRSA called Fatty Acid Biosynthesis I (FAB I).
There is a growing medical need for anti-MRSA drugs. Nosocomial infections constitute a major health problem, with 4 million cases reported each year in Europe and 2 million a year in the USA. Over the period 2009-2014, the number of patients infected with MRSA is expected to grow significantly in both Europe and the USA. Nosocomial infections are an important concern because they are associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality; indeed, severe infections and sepsis can be lethal in 30% of cases. Moreover, nosocomial infections generate extensive hospitalization and intensive care costs (about $5 billion a year in the USA).