Amurin peptides
Amurin peptides
WHAT ARE PEPTIDES?
Peptides represent a unique class of pharmaceutical compounds based on their size: larger than small molecules, yet smaller than proteins. Typically, peptides range in length from two to 50 amino acids. They are categorized according to their source and function and are intrinsic signaling molecules for many physiological functions. The opportunity for therapeutic use is vast given their ability to mimic natural pathways, as demonstrated through the first medicinal peptide, insulin, remaining the primary treatment for type 1 diabetes today, nearly 100 years after its initial use.
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES AMURIN PEPTIDES?
Amurin peptides are another novel class of direct lytic agents. Amurin peptides are lytic antimicrobial peptides that have potent in vitro activity across a wide range of resistant Gram-negative pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter species). In addition to potency, amurins have also demonstrated the ability to clear biofilms and act synergistically with a range of standard-of-care antibiotics in vitro. This differentiated mechanism of activity and spectrum of batericidality would make amurins extremely well suited as potential treatments for patients suffering from drug-resistant Gram-negative infections, such as those seen often in cystic fibrosis patients, ventilator-associated pneumonia, intra-abdominal infections, and serious burns or certain chronic wound infections.
We believe that amurin peptides have the potential to become a powerful addition to the global armamentarium against strains of Gram-negative pathogens which have resistance to all or almost all currently available antibiotics. We plan to progress our amurin peptide program as quickly as possible through preclinical profiling and into the clinic.
