Aridis Pharmaceuticals shares results for pneumonia drug

The new, antibody-based immunotherapy toward late-stage clinical studies is a priority for Aridis.
The new, antibody-based immunotherapy toward late-stage clinical studies is a priority for Aridis. | Contributed image

Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc. recently announced positive results for its Phase 2a trial of Salvecin for treating severe pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Salvecin is a human monoclonal antibody and is used as an adjunct therapy. Results of the study showed that Aridis met safety, tolerability and efficacy levels. Aridis detailed the results at the ASM Microbe Congress in June in New Orleans.

“Hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP) due to S. aureus affects more than 500,000 patients a year in the U.S., Europe, and Japan,” Aridis CEO Dr. Vu Truong said in a statement. “In addition to finding Salvecin safe and tolerable, encouraging efficacy indicators were observed. We believe our approach will help significantly improve the clinical course of patients with HABP."

Truong said advancing this new, antibody-based immunotherapy toward late-stage clinical studies in the coming months is a priority for Aridis, especially in these times of emerging multi-drug resistant S. aureus. 

"This innovative and potentially breakthrough treatment may represent a much-needed therapeutic advance for patients hospitalized in an ICU with S. aureus pneumonia,” he said.

Aridis, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, applies proprietary technologies to produce novel anti-infectives and immunotherapies for infectious diseases.