SAN DIEGO, California, June 12, 2017 – Forge Therapeutics, Inc., (Forge), a biotechnology company discovering first-in-class antibiotics using a breakthrough drug discovery platform, announced today that the company will showcase its novel technology and expertise in Gram-negative antibiotics in an oral presentation and panel discussion at the 2017 BIO International Convention being held June 19-22, 2017 in San Diego, CA.
Oral Presentation: Monday, June 19, 2017, 2:00 – 2:15 p.m.
• Infectious Disease Therapeutic Focus, Presentation Theater 1
• Company Presenter: Zachary A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., CEO of Forge
Panel Participation: Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• Session 22008 – Partnerships that De-Risk Research and Development of Antimicrobial Products
• Zachary A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., CEO of Forge, will act as panel moderator
o Speaking panelists include:
Edward Cox, Director, Office of Antimicrobial Products, US Food and Drug Administration
Yohei Doi, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Kevin Outterson, Professor of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights, Boston University School of Law; Executive Director, CARB-X, Boston University School of Law
Florence Séjourné, CEO, DaVolterra
About LpxC and the ‘Superbug’ Epidemic
Millions of people around the globe have become infected with bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotic treatments, or ‘superbugs’, creating a global health epidemic. An estimated 700,000 worldwide deaths occur each year from these drug-resistant infections, and in the U.S. alone, an estimated 23,000 people die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The biotechnology industry, leading government agencies and world leaders agree that the need for new antibiotics is urgent.
LpxC is an attractive and highly sought after antibiotic target – it is conserved across Gram-negative bacteria and not found in Gram-positive bacteria or human cells. Other LpxC inhibitors have been evaluated by biopharma in the past but chemistry limitations (e.g. hydroxamic acid) have yielded unsuitable compounds that suffer from poor drug-like properties. There are no approved therapeutics targeting LpxC.
About Forge Therapeutics
Forge Therapeutics is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibiotics to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria, or ‘superbugs,’ that have ignited a global health epidemic. With its proprietary chemistry approach, Forge develops small molecule inhibitors targeting metalloenzymes. Forge’s lead effort is focused on LpxC, a zinc metalloenzyme found only in Gram-negative bacteria and which is essential for bacteria to grow. Forge has discovered novel small molecule inhibitors of LpxC that are potent in vitro, efficacious in vivo, and effective against drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria ‘superbugs.’ To complement its innovative approach to drug discovery, Forge has a capital efficient business model that utilizes a mix of non-dilutive and traditional funding sources to advance its programs, including LpxC. Forge has formed a strategic alliance with leading drug discovery alliance and development partnership company Evotec AG and has been awarded multiple government awards to address the global ‘superbug’ epidemic. In addition, Forge has amassed a rich intellectual property estate on metalloprotein inhibitors to protect its technology and pipeline. For further information, please visit the company’s website www.ForgeTherapeutics.com and follow us on Twitter @ForgeThera.
Forge Company Contact:
Info@ForgeTherapeutics.com
Forge Media Contact:
Amy Conrad
Juniper Point
amy@juniper-point.com
858-366-3243