Peptilogics to Present Data Highlighting Designed Antimicrobial Peptide for the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) at ECCMID 2022

Poster and oral presentation of PLG0206 showcase broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant bacteria and its ability to prevent spontaneous mutant growth with a variety of pathogens that cause periprosthetic joint infections (PJI)

PITTSBURGH, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Peptilogics, a biotech company engineering peptide therapeutics to improve the treatment landscape for patients with life-threatening diseases, will present one poster and an oral presentation at the 32nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). The preclinical data highlight the potent antimicrobial properties of Peptilogics’ designed peptide PLG0206 for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), a rare and life-threatening complication that patients may develop following joint replacement surgery. PLG0206, an investigational product, is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1b clinical study (Study in Patients Undergoing Debridement, Antibiotics, and Implant Retention (DAIR) for Treatment of a Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) Occurring After Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)).

The preclinical data presented at ECCMID demonstrate that PLG0206 has a low propensity for resistance development and reinforces its broad-spectrum activity against bacteria such as ESKAPE pathogens for the treatment of PJI.

“More than one million total joint replacements are performed annually in the U.S., a number that is expected to grow to more than 2.5 million annual procedures by 2030,” said David Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Peptilogics. “Because of the frequency in which joint replacement procedures are performed, PJI will be incredibly burdensome on the healthcare system, alongside its devastating lifelong impact on quality of life for patients. The data support the ongoing PLG0206 clinical program and our novel approach in designing peptides with desirable drug characteristics for life-threatening conditions.”

“Patients with PJI represent a population of dire unmet need, as currently available antibiotics are unable to treat their infections,” said Dean Shinabarger, scientific advisor to Peptilogics. “It is incredibly exciting that the data being presented demonstrate PLG0206’s broad-spectrum activity in vitro against a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, including most of the ESKAPE group, and that no stable spontaneous mutants were isolated. The rapid bactericidal, broad-spectrum, and anti-biofilm properties of PLG0206 show great promise and warrant further evaluation as a treatment for patients with PJI.”

The poster presentation at ECCMID is as follows:

Title: PLG0206, a novel engineered antibacterial peptide, has broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, including ESKAPE pathogens
Abstract: #01117
Poster: P1310
Time of presentation: Sunday, April 24 at 12:00 - 1:00 PM (Western European Summer Time Zone)
Session: 5a. Mechanisms of action, new compounds, preclinical data & pharmacology of antibacterial agents
Authors: I. Morrissey, D. Shinabarger, D. Huang, S. Hawser
Overview: Broad-spectrum activity was demonstrated in vitro for PLG0206 against a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, including most of the ESKAPE group. The activity of PLG0206 was not impacted by the resistance phenotype.

The oral presentation at ECCMID is as follows:

Title: Resistance development to PLG0206, a novel engineered antimicrobial peptide
Abstract: #01613
Poster: P1298
Time of presentation: Sunday, April 24 at 12:00 - 1:00 PM (Western European Summer Time Zone)
Session: 5a. Mechanisms of action, new compounds, preclinical data & pharmacology of antibacterial agents
Authors: O. Walser, M. Thwaites, D. Shinabarger, David Huang, Jonathan Steckbeck, C. Pillar
Overview: By studying the spontaneous mutation frequency of PLG0206 with a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens that can cause PJIs, MIC testing demonstrated that no stable spontaneous mutants were isolated during selection with gram-positive bacteria.

The abstracts are available on the ECCMID website here.

Disclaimer

Research reported in these abstracts is supported by CARB-X. CARB-X’s funding for this project is sponsored by the Cooperative Agreement Number IDSEP160030 from ASPR/BARDA and by an award from Wellcome Trust. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CARB-X or any of its funders.

About PLG0206

PLG0206 is an investigational, broad-spectrum, anti-biofilm, anti-infective peptide therapeutic currently in clinical development for the treatment of PJI. PLG0206 was designed with a unique mechanism of action that allows it to directly address persistent bacterial pathogens within the biofilm that evade standard-of-care antibiotics by targeting and disrupting bacterial membranes to trigger bacterial cell death. In both in vitro and non-clinical studies, PLG0206 has demonstrated best-in-class, rapidly bactericidal, broad-spectrum activity against a variety of pathogens including those identified by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as critical, urgent or high-priority targets, regardless of resistance phenotype. PLG0206 has been granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of PJI and has also been designated as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP).

About Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI)

More than one million total joint replacements are performed annually in the U.S., a number that is expected to grow to four million annual procedures by 2030 due to an aging and active population. Following joint replacement, 1%-2% of patients will develop a PJI, a serious life-threatening condition, which often necessitates continuous antibiotic usage, multiple high-risk surgical procedures and implant removal with limited ability to resolve the infection. The current standard of care has up to a 60% failure rate and results in a substantial number of patient deaths, evidenced by a 25% five-year mortality rate.

About Peptilogics

Peptilogics engineers peptide therapeutics to radically improve the treatment landscape for patients with life-threatening diseases. Through biological and pharmaceutical expertise, novel artificial intelligence algorithms and purpose-built super-computing, Peptilogics is advancing an extensive therapeutic pipeline and accelerating discovery efforts at a pace and scale that was previously impossible. Peptilogics is backed by visionary investors in life science and technology including Peter Thiel, Presight Capital, Founders Fund, CARB-X and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information about Peptilogics, visit www.peptilogics.com or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.