Basilea awarded BARDA contract for the development of novel oral phase 3-ready antibiotic ceftibuten-ledaborbactam

Total non-dilutive funding of up to USD 159 million upon completion of predefined milestones, including near-term committed funding of USD 6 million

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Allschwil, Switzerland, September 25, 2025

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, announced today that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the US Department of Health and Human Services, has novated a contract from Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Venatorx) to Basilea to support the development of the novel oral antibiotic ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil, a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) combination, for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis. Basilea recently acquired the global rights to ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil from Venatorx.

David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea, said: “We thank BARDA for their continued collaboration and support for the development of novel anti-infectives to help patients with severe infections. The funding helps us to further advance our newly in-licensed novel antibiotic ceftibuten-ledaborbactam, which we believe holds a strong promise in addressing the critical unmet need for the oral treatment of cUTIs caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.”

The existing funding agreement between BARDA and Venatorx was novated, with Basilea replacing Venatorx as a contracting party. Under the terms of the contract, Basilea will be reimbursed for a portion of the development costs required to bring ceftibuten-ledaborbactam etzadroxil to market, including the planned Phase 3 clinical studies. The non-dilutive funding comprises an initial amount of approximately USD 6 million and options to provide up to USD 153 million of additional non-dilutive funding upon completion of predefined milestones.

Full PR available here