Aridis Pharmaceuticals Receives FDA Fast Track Designation for Aerucin™ for Treating Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company applying proprietary technologies to produce novel therapies for infectious diseases, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation to its fully human monoclonal antibody Aerucin™ for the treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Aridis completed enrollment and dosing in a Phase 1 clinical study of Aerucin. Results are expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

Vu Truong, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Aridis, stated, "We are pleased to receive Fast Track designation for Aerucin as it provides an accelerated development and regulatory review pathway, and if approved, may lead to expedited availability of Aerucin to critically ill patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia. This is an encouraging milestone for Aridis and is in line with our strategy to obtain Fast-Track, Orphan Drug, Qualified Infectious Diseases Product (QIDP), and Breakthrough Therapy designations for some or all of our product candidates."

Fast Track designation is a process designed to facilitate the development, and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill unmet medical needs. Companies that receive Fast Track designation are allowed to submit New Drug Applications (NDA) or Biologics License Applications (BLA) on a rolling basis, expediting the FDA review process, and benefiting from more frequent communication with the FDA to discuss all aspects of clinical development. Additionally, drugs that receive Fast Track designation are eligible for accelerated approval and priority review.

About Aerucin™

Aerucin™ is a broadly reactive fully human immunoglobulin G, or IgG, mAb targeting P. aeruginosa bacteria that exhibits broad binding to greater than 90% of clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. Aerucin™ is being developed initially as an adjunctive anti-infective to treat hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia due to P. aeruginosa. Aerucin™ is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy adults, which is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2015. This product candidate has been supported extensively by funding from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, during pre-clinical development through IND filing as well as clinical manufacturing of drug product for a planned Phase 2 trial.

About Acute Pneumonia Due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas infection is caused by strains of bacteria found widely in the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or P. aeruginosa, is a Gram negative bacterium that  causes a variety of infections in humans, and is particularly prevalent and lethal in pneumonia. Drugs targeting Gram- negative bacteria must cross both the inner and outer membranes of the bacterial cell, as compared to those directed against Gram-positive bacteria, which must only cross one cell membrane. As a result, Gram-negative bacteria tend to be more resistant to antibiotics and the body's own immune system. Serious infections usually occur in hospitalized patients and/or those with a compromised immune system. Patients in hospitals, especially those on ventilators, catheters, and with wounds form surgery are potentially at risk for serious, life-threatening infections. While typically treated with antibiotics, Pseudomonas infections are more difficult to treat in hospitals due to increased antibiotic resistance. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, an estimated 51,000 healthcare-associated P. aeruginosa infections occur in the U.S. each year.

About Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Aridis is a privately held biopharmaceutical company applying proprietary monoclonal antibody discovery technology MabIgX^® and pharmaceutical formulation technologies to produce novel infectious disease focused therapies. Aridis' product pipeline includes AR-101 anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa LPS human monoclonal antibody; AR-301 anti-Staphylococcus aureus human monoclonal antibody to treat acute pneumonia; Aerucin™, a broadly reactive monoclonal antibody against Pseudomonas aeruginosa initially being developed to treat acute pneumonia; Panaecin™, a small molecule anti-infective gallium compound with broad spectrum activities against bacteria, viruses, and fungi; AR- 401 anti-Acinetobacter baumannii human monoclonal antibody; and AR-201 anti-RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) human monoclonal antibody.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the therapeutic applications of AR-101, AR-301, Panaecin™, Aerucin™, AR-401, AR-201, Aridis' proprietary formulation and delivery technologies, about Aridis' strategy, pre-clinical and clinical programs, and ability to identify and develop drugs, as well as other statements that are not historical facts. Actual events or results may differ materially from Aridis' expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the timing, success and cost of Aridis' research and clinical studies and its ability to obtain additional financing. These forward-looking statements represent Aridis' judgment as of the date of this release. Aridis disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Tirth Patel (investors)
[email protected]
(212) 375-2664

Andrew Mielach (media)
[email protected]
(212) 375-2694

SOURCE Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.