A collaborative research program led by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, in partnership with the Lead Discovery Center GmbH (LDC) and Hannover Medical School (MHH), has achieved several key milestones in the fight against Staphylococcus aureus infections.

The initiative is developing a novel small-molecule anti-virulence agent that disarms S. aureus by neutralizing its major toxin, α-hemolysin, to treat lung infections. Early preclinical studies show that compounds from this new quinoxalindione class significantly improve survival in animal models of S. aureus pneumonia, while also reducing bacterial load and inflammation. These promising results were recently published in Cell Host & Microbe.

With milestone-based funding from the non-profit accelerator CARB-X since 2020, and INCATE support since 2023, the team selected a development candidate at the end of 2024. Co-financed by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), this compound is currently undergoing IND-enabling studies.

In addition, the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony has awarded the team approximately € 890,000 to advance the clinical translation of the approach for skin and soft tissue infections. The research consortium is additionally developing a translational biomarker strategy in collaboration with MHH, supported by DZIF funding.

“This anti-virulence strategy has the potential to provide a powerful new tool in the fight against multi-drug-resistant S. aureus infections. We thank our partners and funders for their continued dedication and look forward to reaching the next major milestones on the path toward a first-in-human clinical trial,” said Prof. Dr. Mark Brönstrup, Head of the Chemical Biology Department at HZI.

A post by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)

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