AdjuTec Pharma joins forces to fight antibiotic resistance
AdjuTec Pharma has launched a research collaboration with India’s Venus Remedies Limited to combat the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance. With its lead candidate, APC-148, already in phase I trials, AdjuTec aims to breathe new life into – and restore the power of – existing antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria. This partnership amplifies efforts to address a critical challenge, defined as a global health emergency by the WHO.
A conservative estimate pegs the global economic output loss at USD 100 trillion by 2050 if antibiotic resistance (AMR) remains unchecked. Without swift action, we risk sliding back to a pre-antibiotic era where common infections once again become deadly and where 10 million people could die every year.
AdjuTec Pharma AS, a privately held Norwegian firm, is carving a niche in combating AMR by developing antibiotic resistance breakers. Specializing in β-lactamase inhibitors, the company targets Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs)—enzymes that shield bacteria from antibiotics.
Its flagship program, APC-148, entered phase I clinical trials in late 2024, with a first-in-human study successfully completed, to assess safety and tolerability. Results, expected in Q2 2025, will guide APC-301, a broad-spectrum solution. Led by new CEO Jethro Holter, a life science veteran, AdjuTec Pharma is tackling high-priority infections as AMR threatens to outpace cancer as a leading cause of death by 2050. Read an interview with Holter here.
A strategic collaboration with Venus Remedies
AdjuTec Pharma has now entered into a research collaboration with Venus Remedies Limited, a leader in AMR research based in India. In this collaboration, Venus – one of the world’s top 10 injectable manufacturers, operating in over 90 countries – will test APC-148 alongside various antibiotics using its extensive GASAR clinical isolate library, aligning with its commitment to the UN’s ‘One Health’ goals. Both companies share a mission to curb AMR, projected to cause 39 million deaths by 2050 if unchecked. In India, where AMR claimed over 300,000 lives in 2019—including newborns—APC-148 could lighten the healthcare load by reviving antibiotics against resistant strains.
Mr. Saransh Chaudhary, President of Global Critical Care at Venus Remedies Ltd. and CEO of Venus Medicine Research Centre, commented on the collaboration:
– We are pleased to collaborate with AdjuTec Pharma on the preclinical evaluation of APC-148. This research engagement allows us to contribute our expertise in AMR toward advancing scientific understanding of novel solutions in this space. Our collaboration reflects a shared commitment to addressing the global AMR challenge through rigorous, innovation-driven research.
In a comment to BioStock, Jethro Holter, CEO of AdjuTec Pharma, also underscored the alliance’s value:
– We’re delighted to team up with Venus Remedies to evaluate APC-148, our lead program currently in phase I trials. By tapping into Venus’ advanced R&D expertise, we’re testing APC-148’s ability to revive antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria – a critical step as AMR claims 1.3 million lives globally each year, including over 300,000 in India alone. This collaboration not only bolsters our shared mission to combat an urgent global health threat, but also aligns seamlessly with our strategy to partner with leading international pharmaceutical companies, tackling the most clinically challenging resistant pathogens through our pioneering technology.
The content of BioStock’s news and analyses is independent but the work of BioStock is to a certain degree financed by life science companies. The above article concerns a company from which BioStock has received financing.
