Breakthrough Therapy for Resistant Lung Infections in Cystic Fibrosis revealed at European CF Conference

TGV-inhalonix reported clinical findings at the European Cystic Fibrosis Conference recently Basel, Switzerland, that show the potential of a new drug to treat mixed bacterial and fungal lung infections contracted by patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The data presented by George Tetz, scientific and development advisor of TGV-inhalonix, indicated that Mul-1867 is a promising locally acting antimicrobial for the treatment and prevention of pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, and infections caused by other pathogens, such as  S. aureus, B. cepacia, H. influenzae, Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp.

Delivered directly to the sites of pulmonary infection, Mul-1867-CF demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety.

Tetz called the drug candidate “breakthrough” treatment against chronic infections in CF patients that lead to progressive decline in lung function and eventual respiratory failure.

At the conference, he presented the results of inhaled Mul-1867 on animals infected with acute drug-resistant mixes of bacterial and fungal isolates from CF patients; the trial showed that Mul-1867 provided 80% greater protection against mortality from lung infections. By comparison, mice that received treatment with an aminoglycoside antibiotic commonly used to treat lung infections in patients with CF, had a survival rate of 50%.

“Mul-1867 is the first drug candidate in development that holds promise against resistant strains of bacteria, as well those infections caused by a mix of bacteria and fungi infections that plague cystic fibrosis patients,” Tetz said.

CF is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in the U.S. the median survival age for patients with CF is 39.3 years.

Based on early indications of its potential for fighting lung infections in patients with CF, the FDA has granted Mul-1867 the Orphan Drug Designation.

TGV-inhalonix believes that the unique mode of action of Mul-1867 also provides potential to treat various bacterial and fungal infections in the general population, including respiratory tract infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as ventilator-associated pneumonia, and fungal pneumonia.