Glox Therapeutics secures £4.3M seed funding to develop precision antimicrobials targeting drug-resistant bacteria
15 Nov 2023
Glox Therapeutics, a company pioneering the development of precision antibiotic therapies based on naturally occurring bacteriocins, recently announced it has raised £4.3M in seed funding to develop effective targeted therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The Company will use the funding to establish laboratories in Oxford and Glasgow and expand its team to accelerate its bacteriocin development program. The investment round was led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Scottish Enterprise.
Glox Therapeutics, founded in February 2023 by Prof. Daniel Walker from the University of Glasgow (now at the University of Strathclyde) and Prof. Colin Kleanthous, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), from the University of Oxford, is developing precision antibiotics utilizing engineered protein bacteriocins. These novel antimicrobials exhibit remarkable potency and specificity, enabling them to effectively and selectively target Gram-negative pathogens that have already developed antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bacteriocins, which are naturally produced by bacteria, possess antimicrobial properties against strains of the same or related species.
Leveraging the power of bacteriocins, Glox Therapeutics aims to advance the field of antimicrobial therapy by overcoming resistance to traditional antibiotics. It will focus on selectively eradicating target pathogens while preserving the patient’s microbiomes, ensuring a more balanced and effective treatment strategy with reduced side-effects.
“Our mission is to provide physicians and patients with highly potent, targeted antimicrobial therapies that can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria for which there are diminishing options available for treatment,” said Dr James Clark, CEO, Glox Therapeutics. “This seed funding is testament to the promise of Glox Therapeutics’ precise antibiotic therapies, and we are thrilled to have the backing of such high-caliber investors. This will enable us to establish laboratories and attract top-tier talent, and I’m delighted to lead the team as we embark on our pioneering bacteriocin development program, with the first target being P. aeruginosa,” he added.
Dr Niklas Czeloth, Executive Director / Investment Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, said, “The Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund is excited to invest in Glox Therapeutics, thereby advancing the development of its ground-breaking class of bacteriocins. In a world grappling with the escalating threat of AMR, there is an urgent global need for innovative approaches that target novel mechanisms devoid of any pre-existing resistance. We firmly believe that Glox Therapeutics holds immense potential to make a profound impact in the battle against antibiotic-resistant infections.”