Smartbax secures 6.3 million euros for antibiotics with a new mechanism of action

There are diseases where antibiotics are ultimately the only effective treatment. However, antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly common in this context. Therefore, ongoing research in this area is essential. One startup that focuses precisely on this is Smartbax. And their research can now progress rapidly, because the Munich-based biotech startup has now extended its pre-Series A financing round to a total of €6.3 million. With the new capital, the company intends to develop its lead program against multi-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, licensed from Aicuris, to the point of IND submission and simultaneously expand its own antibiotic pipeline.

Smartbax is pursuing several novel mechanisms of action against antibiotic-resistant pathogens – one of the biggest unsolved problems in global healthcare. While many conventional antibiotics target known points of attack, the Munich-based biotech company is focusing on innovative molecular strategies designed to overcome resistance or prevent its development.

Pre-Series A funding grows to 6.3 million euros.

With the second closing of the Pre-Series A financing round The total volume increases to 6.3 million euros. The additional financing comes from a single-family office based in Frankfurt.

Already participating in the financing round are Anobis Asset, Bayern Kapital, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), HTGF (High-Tech Gründerfonds) and UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators.

Dr. Robert Macsics, The CEO of Smartbax explains:

“This additional investment will allow us to advance our lead program to the IND submission stage, marking a significant step in the development of our pipeline. At the same time, we are continuing to invest in our proprietary enzymatic activators, which take a fundamentally different approach to combating bacterial infections. Together, these programs support our goal of addressing the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.”

The lead program targets a previously unused point of attack.

The capital is primarily intended to finance the further development of the lead program up to the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. A successful IND submission allows a drug candidate to receive approval in the US to begin clinical trials.

The funding focuses on a drug program that Smartbax recently in-licensed from Aicuris. The small molecule drug targets a previously untapped step in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). These form a key component of the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria and represent an attractive target for new antibiotics.

According to the company, the program has already demonstrated its effectiveness in vivo. The major breakthrough: it is also effective against multi-resistant pathogens. Furthermore, there is potential for oral administration, which could significantly simplify future use.

Proprietary pipeline relies on the self-destruction of bacteria

In parallel, Smartbax is developing a own pipeline Innovative antibiotics. The company is primarily working on two drug candidates that activate bacterial hydrolases. Instead of directly attacking the pathogens, they trigger self-digestion of the bacteria – a novel mechanism of action that differs significantly from established classes of antibiotics.

The drug programs are characterized by several promising properties. They are intended to be effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and also capable of combating bacterial biofilms. Furthermore, no resistance development has been observed to date. The low-molecular-weight drug structure should also facilitate the further development and subsequent application of the substances.

Should these results be confirmed in further developments, the programs could make an important contribution to combating antimicrobial resistance.