Prokaryotics Receives Second R21 NIH Grant Supporting a Fifth Novel Antibiotic Program

Union, NJ – June 28, 2022 -- Prokaryotics, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel antibiotics, announced today that it has been awarded an R21 grant valued at up to $374,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The two-year agreement will fund research by Prokaryotics on a lipoprotein biogenesis inhibitor targeting resistant Gram-negative bacteria such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which cause a variety of serious human infection and have been designated a Priority 1 ‘critical superbug’ by the WHO and an Urgent Threat by the CDC.

This grant (R21AI171153) will support a medicinal chemistry Hit-to-Lead effort to identify a lead series with wild-type activity and in vivo efficacy. This funding will facilitate development of a toolset to iteratively support SAR studies and lead progression, including in vitro assays, whole-cell assays, and structural biology studies. Success in these efforts will enable the program to solicit additional funding for commencement of a Lead Optimization campaign, ultimately allowing identification of a development candidate.

We are extremely grateful to NIAID and the NIH for their continued support of our programs. I am excited to serve as PI for this program that I have led since its inception at Merck.
-- Dr. Holly Sutterlin, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Prokaryotics, Inc.

This R21 award completes our securing of non-dilutive funding to support all early-stage antibiotic assets in-licensed from Merck &Co. We are thrilled to now explore the development potential around this privileged target and congratulate Dr. Sutterlin as PD/PI of the program leading this effort.
-- Dr. Terry Roemer, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Prokaryotics, Inc.

About Prokaryotics, Inc.
Prokaryotics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotic classes that target serious multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Prokaryotics leverages a deep knowledge of bacterial physiology, innovative screening strategies, and scientific excellence necessary to discover and develop new classes of antibiotics targeting outer membrane biogenesis – the fundamental armor erected by bacteria to naturally withstand the effects of antibiotics.

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