US Funds Novel Anti-Bacterial Research at PolyMedix

PolyMedix of Radnor, PA has now received 3 biodefense-related contracts from the US government, including a a $1.6 million, 1-year contract from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop new “defensin-mimetic antibiotic compounds.” The primary goal of that contract is to devise more effective rapid-response countermeasures against anthrax, plague, and tularemia. Other work may have benefits against pan-Staphylococcal infections, and pneumonia. How does their proposed approach work, and what makes it novel? * BAAC to the Future? * Contracts and Key Events [updated] * Additional Readings BAAC to the Future? PolyMedix’ overall approach is simple to describe, but a lot less simple to execute. They design biomimetic polymers, oligomers, and small molecules that mimic key biological properties of proteins, but are more stable and less expensive to produce than natural proteins. These types of compounds are called “defensin-mimetic,” and the technical term used for them is BAACs: Bactericidal Amphiphilic Antibiotic Compounds. The firm focuses on developing compounds for protein-to-protein and protein-to-membrane interactions, an area that requires significant computing power and uses proprietary technologies. By mimicking the activity of the host defense proteins, PolyMedix’s compounds can do things like directly disrupt bacterial cell membranes. This biophysical, or mechanical mechanism […]