Prokaryotics Receives National Institutes of Health Award Supporting its First Antifungal Development Program

Union, NJ – June 2, 2025 -- Prokaryotics Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel anti-infective drugs, announced today that it has been awarded its second National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grant to support the development of its first antifungal series targeting glucosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI) cell wall biosynthesis. This 2-year R21AI185171-01A1 award will fund a structure-based design optimization of its natural product-based lead series currently supported by its STTR fast track to Phase 2 grant, R42AI179344-01.

We are extremely grateful to NIAID for their continued support of Prokaryotics. Our antifungal program offers a mechanistically novel approach to inhibiting GPI cell wall anchor synthesis – distinct from Fosmanogepix and which is now in Phase 3 clinical development. Importantly, Fosmanogepix’s success de-risks clinical development of our program while offering an alternative first-in-class antifungal modality to target this essential pathway in pathogenic yeasts and molds. NIAID structural biology support to advance our GPI inhibitor program should greatly accelerated its development.
-- Dr. Terry Roemer, PhD., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Prokaryotics Inc.

About Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR) Fungal Pathogens
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the critical need for mechanistically novel antifungal agents to combat the increasing drug resistance to existing standard-of-care antifungal therapeutics. Critical Priority pathogens designated by the WHO include Candida albicans, Candida auris, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Prokaryotics’ GPI inhibitor program effectively targets these pathogens and an even broader spectrum of rare molds, to which stand-of-care antifungal agents are ineffective.

About Prokaryotics, Inc.
Prokaryotics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company founded on Merck & Co., Inc. out-licensed antibiotic assets under development to treat life-threatening antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections. Prokaryotics leverages its deep expertise in bacterial and fungal physiology, medicinal chemistry, collaborative spirit, and scientific passion to discover and develop new classes of antibiotics specifically targeting microbial cell wall and cell envelope biogenesis – the fundamental armor erected by these pathogens to naturally withstand the effects of antibiotic treatment and the human innate immune system.

Media Contact:
Holly Sutterlin
908 737-1922 x124
hsutterlin@prokaryotics.com