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NEWS

One Drug for One Bug: Debiopharm to discuss the potential of pathogen-specific antibiotics at the 2022 World AMR Congress

  • International health authorities, such as the WHO and the CDC are warning of the emerging danger of bacterial infections resistant to current antibiotics
  • The 2022 World Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Congress in the greater Washington D.C. area is serving as a forum to openly address the threat of AMR
  • Debiopharm will join the action-focused discussions around this silent pandemic in 3 panel discussions, presenting their microbiome-sparing FabI inhibitor class as a future tool to fight AMR

Lausanne, Switzerland – September 7th, 2022 – Debiopharm, (www.debiopharm.com) a privately-owned, Swiss-based, biopharmaceutical company committed to the development of novel class antibiotics, today revealed its involvement in three panel discussions at the World AMR Congress, taking place in Fort Washington, Maryland, from September 7th – 8th. This conference offers pharmaceutical companies, government, and policy stakeholders from all around the world the opportunity to meet, discuss and formulate initiatives to effectively tackle the emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance. Debiopharm will present developments on its FabI inhibitor antibiotic class including afabicin (Debio 1450), Debio 1453 and Debio 1454S, all of which have microbiome-sparing potential, a promising characteristic for AMR prevention.

AMR is a leading cause of death and disability and represents a major threat to human health. Among the 1.27 million deaths that occur globally due to antibiotic-resistant infections each year, more than 35,0002 occur in the United States and over 33,3 occur in Europe. The economic burden of AMR is also significant4 in direct health care and lost productivity costs are attributable to antibiotic-resistant bacteria like Staphylococcus spp.

The WHO and the CDC have identified such pathogens posing a threat to public health and Debiopharm, one of the few private companies still engaged in the development of novel antibiotics, has directed its efforts toward targeting them. The World AMR summit offers a great opportunity to governments, funds, associations, and passionate companies like Debiopharm to join forces against one of the top global public threats facing humanity.

“We’re proud to unveil more on the role our novel class antibiotic, the FabI inhibitors, amongst key international stakeholders at the World AMR. We’re hoping that our collaboration with specialized organizations and lawmakers will trigger the much needed changes in the way we think about the unmet need for antibiotics as well as provide hope to people and health practitioners dealing with these seemingly insurmountable infections” stated Mohammed Benghezal, Global Project Lead in Anti-infectives, Debiopharm.

“Pathogen-specific antibiotic effect without harming the “good” gut bacteria: it is the best of both worlds! As we research their efficacy and safety profile, this class of antibiotics could be like no other,” expressed Ricardo Chaves, Executive Medical Director, Debiopharm. “Now is the time to encourage the development of new antibiotic classes by establishing new business models that will assure future patients access to effective treatments that will knock out highly resistant bacterial infections and at the same time prevent AMR development.”

Full PR available here