Destiny Pharma is a clinical stage, biotechnology company focused on the development of novel medicines that represent a new approach to the treatment of infectious disease. These potential new medicines are being developed to address the need for new drugs for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, often referred to as superbugs. Tackling anti-microbial resistance has become a global imperative recognized by the WHO. Destiny Pharma is a public traded company listed on London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM: DEST). For more information about Destiny Pharma, please visit www.destinypharma.com.
XF-73 is a synthetic dicationic porphyrin derivative with antibacterial activity. It has a novel mechanism of action which differs from that of any existing families of antimicrobial agents. It acts via a bacterial cell-surface mechanism that affects membrane permeability and integrity, leading to release of intracellular components and bacterial cell death, without lysis. XF-73 is active against all tested S. aureus strains including methicillin-resistant and multi-drug resistant strains, exhibiting rapid bactericidal activity against S. aureus and having a low potential for development of bacterial resistance. The product has been granted Qualifying Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track Designation by the U.S. FDA.
In March 2021, the Group’s partner Destiny Pharma announced positive top-line results from the overseas phase IIb clinical study of XF-73: primary endpoint achieved with >99% nasal bacterial load reduction (p<0.0001) while demonstrating an excellent safety profile with no treatment related adverse events.
A third of the population are carriers of S. aureus, typically in the nose, and are at a significantly higher risk of acquiring a post-surgical infection. China Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System also indicates that it ranked first in Gram-positive bacteria. The WHO Surgical Safety Guidelines point out that nasal colonization of S. aureus is a risk factor for postoperative infection. However, the use of existing preventative treatments is severely limited by the drug resistant bacteria. In contrast, XF-73 has been shown not to generate drug resistant bacteria, and this superior profile makes it ideally suited for widespread use for the prevention of post-surgical infections, which will fulfill the unmet clinical needs.
