Anacor Pharmaceuticals Announces GSK Has Initiated Two Phase 2 Trials of GSK ‘052 in Complicated Urinary Tract Infections and Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections

Anacor Pharmaceuticals ANAC announced today that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has initiated two separate Phase 2b trials of GSK 2251052, or GSK ‘052 (formerly referred to as AN3365), in complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI). GSK ‘052 is a novel boron-based, systemic antibiotic being developed for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria. GSK ‘052 specifically targets the bacterial enzyme leucyl-transfer RNA synthetase, or LeuRS, which is required for protein synthesis. The inhibition of protein synthesis leads to termination of cell growth and cell death. Since there are no commercially available antibiotics that target LeuRS, there is no known pre-existing bacterial resistance to the target. Preclinical and Phase 1 studies suggest that GSK '052 is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of infections caused by a broad range of Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Citrobacter spp., S. marcescens, P. vulgaris, Providentia spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. as well as other pathogens responsible for both cUTI and cIAI. “Increasing resistance to existing antibiotics has created a critical need for novel therapies for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria,” said David Perry, Chief Executive Officer of Anacor Pharmaceuticals. “We believe GSK ‘052 has the potential to be the first new class of antibiotic specifically targeting Gram-negative infections in over 30 years.”