Unmet Need
Vancomycin has long served as a critical last line of defense against serious
Gram-positive infections, including MRSA and other multidrug-resistant pathogens. However,
vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) are on the rise, with approximately 30% of healthcare-
associated Enterococcus infections in the U.S. now resistant, steadily undermining the
antibiotic’s effectiveness and leaving clinicians with few options to treat life-threatening
infections. The need for durable, next-generation therapies has never been greater, as
resistance continues to spread across bacterial populations.
Value Proposition
Novel, next-generation vancomycin analogs that offer a multi-pronged approach to restore
potency against vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and dramatically reduce the potential for resistance to develop.
Strategic core redesign, peripheral modifications, and C-terminal optimizations give these
vancomycin analogs multiple, complementary mechanisms of action, directly targeting both
traditional and resistant bacterial pathways. Optimized for in vivo efficacy, these compounds
have demonstrated strong antibacterial performance in preclinical infection models. By
reimagining a proven antibiotic scaffold, the Boger lab’s innovations extend the clinical life of
vancomycin and offer a critical solution to the growing global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
Key Differentiators
- Enhanced antimicrobial potency against resistant strains.
- Improved durability and resilience to widespread resistance.
- Potential to reduce the emergence of new resistance mechanisms.
Applications
- Treatment of multidrug-resistant infections, including vancomycin resistant
Enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.
- Clinical settings requiring robust antibiotics.
Development Stage
In vivo proof-of-concept data in a mouse model of infection with a highly resistant S. aureus
strain that is both multidrug-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant (VRSA).
IP Status
Patent Issued in US (US Patent# 9,879,049)
Patent Issued in US (US Patent# 10,577,395)
Patent Issued in US (US Patent# 10,934,326)
Patent application filed in US (US application# 17/918,448)
Patent application filed in US (US application# 19/492,234)
Publications
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja207142h
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja507009a
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5b01008
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28559345/
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00258
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00569
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.3c03710
