Anti-infectives
Treating life-threatening infections in vulnerable patients
Without antibiotics, much of what makes up modern medicine – from routine surgeries to ground-breaking interventions – would not be possible. Despite this, treating infection is becoming increasingly difficult, with traditional antibiotics alone failing to effectively treat infections and putting patient lives at risk.
The importance of host factors
Whilst antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is often linked to mechanisms in the pathogen itself, host factors are also of crucial importance – helping us to understand why some treatments fail, and how we can develop new strategies to combat infection. In part, the increased need for novel anti-infectives is due to a growing population of vulnerable patients; those that are elderly, with comorbidities, or that are immune-suppressed. These patient groups are at greater risk of developing infection, and often do not respond to standard antibiotic treatments, even when the infection itself is not classified as resistant.
Centauri’s approach is built on the idea that successful treatment of infection requires us to consider both the pathogen and the host.
CTX-187
Centauri’s lead clinical candidate, CTX-187, is designed to combat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. In March 2026, CTX-187 received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the FDA, granting eligibility for fast-track designation and priority review. The Phase 1 (first-in-human/FIH) clinical trial for CTX-187 commenced in June 2026.
CTX-187 is a novel antimicrobial featuring a dual mechanism-of-action, combining immunotherapeutic effects through recruitment of anti-glycan antibodies, complement activation and opsonophagocytosis, with direct antibacterial activity.
