Destiny Pharma - Current news

March 2013: Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies publishes annual report providing a comprehensive overview of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases

Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England has warned that the risk posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria which have the potential to cause infections which are untreatable pose a "catastrophic" threat to the population in a report published this month. In the report Dame Sally notes that "Antimicrobial resistance is a very real threat. If we have no suitable antibiotics to treat infection, minor surgery and routine operations could become high risk procedures". The report makes 17 recommendations on how this threat should be addressed. Dame Sally also said that pharmaceutical companies should be given encouragement to develop new drugs. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said "Dame Sally's report and comments are very timely, as it is important that we do not underestimate the threat posed by antibiotic resistance to healthcare as we know it. I am also very encouraged that Dame Sally also highlighted the need for new drugs to be developed to combat this threat and allow the continued delivery of modern medicine". The Department of Health will soon publish the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy setting out how it will meet the challenge that the Chief Medical Officer has outlined.

February 2013: New US Therapeutic Guidelines on Antimicrobial Prophylaxis published which recommend that all higher risk surgeries should now decolonise all patients with documented colonisation with S. aureus and not just MRSA

New Therapeutic Guidelines on Antimicrobial Prophylaxis were published on the 29th January which were developed jointly by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). This work represents an update to the previously published ASHP Therapeutic Guidelines on Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Surgery, as well as guidelines from IDSA and SIS. The guidelines provide practitioners with a standardised approach to the safe, and effective use of antimicrobial agents for the prevention of surgical-site infections (SSIs) based on currently available clinical evidence. The new guidelines recommend that nasal decolonisation of all patients with documented colonisation with S. aureus and not just MRSA should be common practice. This is a significant shift in the advice, as previously only MRSA colonisation was advocated. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said "These new guidelines recognise that many more patients are at risk from S. aureus during surgery and that decolonisation can effectively reduce this risk. With widespread adoption of this best surgical practice, antibiotic resistance pressure on existing antibiotics will intensify - highlighting the need for new drugs to deliver, long-term, this highly cost effective intervention".

January 2013: Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies says that antibiotic-resistant diseases pose "Apocalyptic" threat and tells MPs that the issue should be added to the UK Government's national risk register of civil emergencies

Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England has warned British MPs that the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant diseases pose an "Apocalyptic" threat and could trigger a national emergency on a scale comparable to a catastrophic terrorist attack, major coastal flooding or a pandemic flu outbreak. Dame Sally was appearing in front of the UK House of Commons Science and Technology committee and said that antimicrobial resistance has been put on the Department of Health's risk register and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' risk register and would call for the Government to also put antimicrobial resistance on the Government's risk register.

January 2013: US ICU infection rate cut by 44% by Universal bacterial Decolonisation - Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) ICU's to adopt this regimen during early 2013

A recent study involving 43 HCA hospitals consisting of nearly 75,000 patients in 74 adult Intensive Care Units (ICUs) has demonstrated that Universal Decolonisation (using nasal antibiotic and antimicrobial soap on all ICU admissions) resulted in a reduction of the number of patients harbouring MRSA by 37% and a reduction in bloodstream infections by 44%. As a result of this study, the HCA is adopting the use of Universal Decolonisation in all of its adult ICUs and is expected to be completed in early 2013.

17th October 2012: National Institutes of Health launch US clinical trial of XF-73, a new anti-Staphylococcal drug

Scientists have launched an early-stage clinical trial of a novel topical antimicrobial compound known as XF-73 that has shown promise for eliminating Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the nose, a therapeutic approach that reduces the risk of staph infections. The study is being sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Further details are provided here

July 2012: Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act passed by US Senate on 26th June 2012

The "Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act provides incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotics/antibacterial drugs for the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus and enterococcus, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, E. coli, multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis, and Clostridium difficile. Under the GAIN Act Qualified Infectious Disease Products ("QIDPs") intended to treat serious or life-threatening bacterial infections may benefit from the following incentives:

5 Years additional US Market Exclusivity
Priority FDA Review reducing from 12 to 8 months
Fast Track Status

For further information please click on the link here

26th March 2012 Press Release: IND opens for anti-Staphylococcal drug XF-73 and NIAID-funded US clinical trial begins

Brighton, UK - Clinical stage pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma today made two important announcements about its lead drug for the prevention of post-surgical Staphylococcal infections, XF-73. The drug has progressed through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to an open Investigational New Drug (IND) status and Phase I clinical evaluation is being initiated in the US. The clinical trial is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This latest evaluation follows three successful XF-73 clinical trials in the UK.

The clinical trial will study Staphylococcus aureus (SA) decolonisation as well as safety and tolerability in more than fifty subjects who are treated with XF-73 or placebo. The study will go beyond the UK trials by more accurately simulating patient SA decolonisation, important in mitigating the risk of subsequent SA infection.

Infection remains a worrying complication for hospital admissions. The most common cause of infection is the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonisation is now practiced in many countries, but the continuing problem of bacterial resistance prevents the protection being extended to the larger number of patients who could benefit. There is global need for drugs that can effectively prevent SA infections in patients without succumbing to bacterial resistance. In the US alone it is estimated drug-resistant forms of SA such as MRSA result in 19,000 deaths per year (2). The annual cost of Staphylococcus aureus infection in the US is put at $9.5 billion (3).

Studies to date have shown XF-73 is rapidly bactericidal and has unique abilities to prevent bacterial resistance (1). Its creators at Destiny Pharma believe XF-73 could be used to prevent potentially fatal SA infections, an approach which is becoming compromised due to a limited number of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistance.

NIAID's funding is part of its commitment to explore innovative approaches to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. The Institute uses its clinical research infrastructure to support the evaluation of drugs that may be able to address significant public health needs.

Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma commented: "We're very pleased to have the IND open for XF-73 which is a significant milestone for the Company on the route to the global development of this important new antibacterial drug. We could not have better partners in the form of NIAID and look forward to the next stages of developing this drug and enabling its use in hospitals."

XF-73 is a novel dicationic porphyrin with rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin sensitive and multi-drug resistant strains including MRSA).

References:
1. Farrell D, et al. Investigation of the Potential for Mutational Resistance to XF-73, Retapamulin, Mupirocin, Fusidic Acid, Daptomycin, and Vancomycin in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates during a 55-Passage Study. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2011); 55: 1177-1181 No. 3
2. http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/statistics/MRSA-Surveillance-Summary.html
3. Noskin GA, et al. The burden of Staphylococcus aureus on hospitals in the United States: an analysis of the 2000 and 2001 Nationwide inpatient sample database. Arch Intern Med (2005); 165: 1756-61

About Destiny Pharma:
Destiny Pharma, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, was founded in 1997. The Company focuses on the R&D of new antimicrobial drugs, with an emphasis on novel mechanisms of action which seek to address a top 3 global healthcare issue, namely, microbial drug resistance. XF-73 is the Company's lead drug which has completed Phase I clinical development in the UK. Through its extensive business network and strategic partnerships, Destiny Pharma intends to globally commercialise candidates from the XF Drug platform which are differentiated by design from traditional antibiotics.

About the NIH and NIAID:
NIH, the U.S. medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports research-at NIH, within the U.S. and worldwide-to study the causes of infections and immune-mediated diseases and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website at www.niaid.nih.gov.

Forward Looking Statement:
This press release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties and includes statements that are not historical facts. Actual results could differ significantly from results discussed. Destiny Pharma disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward looking statements except as required by law.

For further information about NIAID, visit www.niaid.nih.gov

For further information about Destiny Pharma contact:
Vicky Hoad on +44 7725 554895 or email pressoffice@destinypharma.com
Tel: +44 1273 704440

4th November 2011 Press Release: Sir Nigel Rudd to lead company behind MRSA cure

Sir Nigel Rudd Sir Nigel Rudd today announced his latest role as Chairman of antimicrobial drug development company Destiny Pharma. The head of BAA and former chief of Boots will lead a newly enhanced Board including Dr David Roblin, former Senior Vice President and Head of Research at Pfizer's European R&D operation.

Founded in 1997 Sussex-based Destiny Pharma has developed a pipeline of drugs designed to avoid the microbial resistance problems associated with traditional antibiotics. Its lead drug, codenamed XF-73, kills antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (SA)[1] like MRSA without engendering bacterial resistance. Under the leadership of CEO Dr Bill Love successful human trials in the UK[2] recently prompted the U.S. Government's National Institute for Allergies and Infections Diseases (NIAID) to fund clinical evaluations in the USA[3].

The strengthening of the Board of Directors is a sign that Destiny Pharma is preparing for the final stages of developing and commercialising XF-73, its lead product for the prevention of post-surgical Staphylococcal infection; the world's most common cause of hospital bacterial infection. The company estimates XF-73 could save the NHS £7billion over ten years by preventing infections.

With a reputation as a dealmaker Sir Nigel Rudd is an internationally renowned business director. His past and present Chairman roles include £2billion high tech company Invensys, Boots the chemist, car dealer Pendragon and airport operator BAA as well as Deputy Chairman of Barclays. In 2007 Sir Nigel steered Boots through a dramatic takeover, making it the first FTSE 100 company to go private, at a price that exceeded City expectations. He was knighted in 1996 for services to the manufacturing industry.

Sir Nigel's involvement with Destiny Pharma goes back to 2005 when he first invested in the company. His son, venture capitalist Edward Rudd is also an investor. On taking the role the man known as "Britain's busiest Chairman" commented: "I am confident that I can bring my long experience of developing and managing successful companies to the Board of Destiny. The pipeline of anti-microbial agents for the treatment of strains of MRSA will not only form a solid financial base for the company but also has the potential to protect millions of lives worldwide."

References:

[1]. A peer reviewed in vitro passage study conducted in 2008 showed XF-73 was effective against five of the most difficult to treat strains of MRSA even after 55 repeat exposures.
[2]. Destiny Pharma reported successful Phase I clinical trial results for XF-73 at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ICAAC) in Boston in September 2010.
[3]. XF-73 was selected for Phase I clinical evaluation by NIAID in August 2011. The study, which will be funded by NIAID, is expected to start in early 2012.

For further information about Destiny Pharma contact:
Vicky Hoad on +44 7725 554895 or email pressoffice@destinypharma.com
Destiny Pharma Limited
Sussex Innovation Centre
Science Park Square
Falmer, Brighton, UK.

15th August 2011 Press Release: Destiny Pharma Lead Drug XF-73 Selected for Clinical Evaluation by U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Brighton, UK - Destiny Pharma Limited, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on combating antimicrobial drug resistance, announced today that its lead drug, XF-73, has been selected for Phase I clinical evaluation by NIAID. XF-73 is under development for the prevention of post-surgical Staphylococcal infections. The collaboration, which will be funded by NIAID, will be conducted under a Clinical Trial Agreement between Destiny Pharma and NIAID.

This award was driven by NIAID's interest in innovative approaches to address antimicrobial resistance and will utilize its clinical research infrastructure to support the clinical evaluation of drugs that have potential to address significant public health needs. The Phase I study of XF-73 will be its first clinical evaluation in the U.S. and will seek to provide safety, tolerability and preliminary anti-Staphylococcal activity of the drug.

XF-73, the lead drug candidate in Destiny's XF Drug portfolio, has demonstrated a unique ability to prevent the emergence of antibacterial resistance (1) as compared to currently available antibiotics. It has also been shown to be potent against a wide range of Staphylococcal strains, including prevalent drug-resistant strains.

XF-73, a novel dicationic porphyrin, has rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, which is the number one global cause of hospital-acquired bacterial infections. The worldwide burden of Staphylococcus aureus infections is considerable. In the U.S. alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the drug-resistant form of the bacteria Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for 19,000 deaths per year (2), and the annual cost of Staphylococcus aureus infection is put at $9.5 billion (3).

Dr. Bill Love, CEO, Destiny Pharma commented, "Signing this agreement with NIAID is a significant moment in the development of XF-73, our lead XF Drug. We look forward to working with this world-leading institution and the highly experienced clinical research contractors it brings to initiate XF-73's clinical evaluation in the U.S."

About the NIH and NIAID:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. National Medical Research Agency and includes 27 institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.niaid.nih.gov.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports research - at NIH, within the U.S. and worldwide - to study the causes of infections and immune-mediated diseases and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website at www.niaid.nih.gov.

For further information about NIAID, visit www.niaid.nih.gov

September 2010: Destiny Pharma Destiny Pharma present clinical results at the 50th Annual ICAAC Meeting in Boston, USA

Destiny Pharma presented Phase I clinical data at the prestigious 50th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) meeting meeting held in Boston in September 2010. The results of this Phase I clinical study indicated that increasing concentrations of XF-73 were well tolerated, with few side effects noted, when applied to the noses of healthy subjects. In addition the study was able to show that the two highest concentrations of XF-73 tested were able to either eliminate, or reduce the amount of Staphylococcus aureus in the nostrils, at the end of 5 days treatment. XF-73 is to be developed further to prove how well it works. The aim is to provide a product that can be applied safely to patients about to undergo surgery that will act quickly to reduce the risk of post operative infections caused by S. aureus. Dr Bill Love CEO of Destiny Pharma said "This is an important milestone in the history of the company and has enabled us to publicly discuss our first clinical data on the safety and use of XF-73 in the nasal decolonisation of S. aureus in human volunteers with the leading experts in the field".

September 2010: Destiny Pharma press coverage in the Sunday Express

Destiny Pharma were featured in an article by Lucy Johnson, the Health Editor of the Sunday Express on the 19th September in an article entitled ""New Drug 'A Lifesaver' In War On Superbugs following the recent presentation of clinical data on Destiny Pharma's lead compound XF-73 at this years ICAAC conference in Boston USA

June 2010: Destiny Pharma Abstracts Accepted for ICAAC 2010

Destiny Pharma will be presenting for the first time Phase I clinical data at the prestigious 50th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) meeting to be held in Boston in September 2010. This is an exciting development in the history of Destiny, as this is the first release of data from a Phase I trial on the safety and use of XF-73 in the nasal decolonisation of Staphylococcus aureus in human volunteers.

June 2010: Publication of Data on the Antibacterial Spectrum of Destiny Pharma's Lead Compound XF-73 in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents

A further publication in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents entitled "In vitro activity of XF-73, a novel antibacterial agent, against antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species" has just been published which reports on the antibacterial properties of XF-73, the lead drug in the Destiny Pharma portfolio of antimicrobial compounds. The publication describes the broad spectrum antibacterial activity of XF-73, where all of the Gram-positive bacteria tested were found to be susceptible to XF-73. Furthermore, the presence of all known existing antibiotic resistance mechanisms in the test bacteria was found not to have any effect on the antibacterial activity of XF-73. These results confirm the findings reported in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy in October 2009 on the novel mechanism of action of XF-73.

June 2010: FDA to announce incentives to encourage new anti-microbial drug development

Calls for new anti-microbial drugs to combat existing and emerging superbugs are increasing. Following last years Obama call for a Global Task Force to address what is a top 3 global healthcare crisis, namely microbial resistance, the FDA's Dr Janet Woodcock announced on 11th June 2010 that the "FDA plans to publish additional guidance on these [drug-development] methods within the next six months to establish new standards for antimicrobial drugs".

March 2010: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love invited to speak at the 2010 SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs conference

Following the well received presentation given at the 2009 conference, Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma was invited to give a further presentation at the 2010 meeting of the SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs conference held in London. The talk was entitled "The role of pharma SMEs in meeting the challenge for new antimicrobials". Other speakers at the conference included Professor Peter Hawkey, Professor of Public Health Bacteriology at the University of Birmingham & Health Protection Agency who presented data on the emergence of MRSA resistance to mupirocin and chlorhexidine and John Mueller, Senior Director, Biology Lead, Antibacterials Research Unit at Pfizer who presented a talk entitled "Responding to the emerging global challenge of bacterial multi-drug resistance". Senior executives from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Basilea Pharmaceutica, Cubist Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma Europe also gave presentations during the meeting.

March 2010: Destiny Pharma press coverage in The Daily Telegraph

Destiny Pharma has received further coverage in the UK national press in an article in the 8th March edition of the Daily Telegraph by Victoria Lambert entitled "Bugs are changing - and we have a fight on our hands".

February 2010: Destiny Pharma present results at the 8th American Society of Microbiology Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting

Destiny Pharma presented their latest results on the antibacterial activity spectrum of the XF drugs at the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) organised meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The in vitro results, which demonstrate that the XF drug platform have potent activity against a broad range of bio-threat pathogens such as anthrax, plague and burkholderia. These new results generated a great deal of interest during the course of the meeting.

February 2010: Landmark Publication demonstrating the benefits of bacterial decolonisation for the prevention of surgical site infections published in the New England Journal of Medicine

A landmark clinical trial was published in February 2010 by Bode et al. from an internationally renowned medical research school in the New England Journal of Medicine which presented data indicating that methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) decolonisation (nasal & body) halved the number of subsequent MSSA surgical site infections. This publication has impacted healthcare bodies around the world and the implications for widespread nasal decolonisation of Staphylococci (MRSA and now MSSA) are significant. In Europe and the USA the number of patients entering hospital who would be expected to be MRSA nasal carriers each year is about 6 million, while the number of MRSA and MSSA nasal carriers is estimated to be over 30 million.

November 2009: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Publishes Key Paper on the Antibacterial Biofilm Activity of Destiny Pharma's XF Drugs

Following hot on the heels of the manuscript published in the highly regarded Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (JAC) in October, a further peer-reviewed article has been published in the November 2009 edition of the same journal entitled "XF-70 and XF-73, novel antibacterial agents active against slow-growing and non-dividing cultures of Staphylococcus aureus including biofilms" which describes the excellent activity that the XF compounds have against slow growing bacteria, even when they are present in biofilms. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma explained further; "During the course of a bacterial infection, bacteria often encounter unfavourable conditions which result in the bacteria adapting by entering a dormant (non-growing) state. Many antibiotics are ineffective against bacteria in this state, which contributes to the prolonged treatment periods required for persistent infections. Non-growing bacteria are also present in bacterial biofilms, which are increasingly recognized as a factor in the inability of existing licensed antibiotics to successfully eradicate various infections. The formation of biofilms has been implicated in the development of dental caries, cystic fibrosis pneumonia and infections associated with indwelling medical devices." Dr Love continued: "There is a serious need for new antibacterial drugs which are active against such non-growing, biofilm-encased, bacteria and we are very excited about the potential of the XF drugs to tackle this significant medical unmet need".

October 2009: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Publishes Key Paper on Destiny Pharma's Lead Compound XF-73 which Explains Novel Antibacterial Drug Action

Destiny Pharma have received further confirmation from peers that their leading compound marks a new class of antibacterial. This breakthrough is detailed in the latest edition (October 2009) of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (JAC) this month. The peer-reviewed paper, entitled 'XF-73, a novel anti-staphylococcal membrane-active agent with rapid bactericidal activity', demonstrates that Destiny Pharma's XF-73 drug kills harmful bacteria in an entirely new and different way to traditional antibiotics. XF-73 is able to kill bacteria by a lethal interaction with the bacteria's membrane causing it to die within minutes.

The publication is timely as within the last month a report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) highlighted both the urgent need for new antibacterial agents to combat the threat posed by the emergence of multi-drug resistance bacteria and the lack of new compounds in development. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma, explained further: "We recognise the need to develop new drugs to combat the emergence new and existing Superbugs and are delighted with these new findings which clearly show that XF-73 drug action is distinct from all other antimicrobial classes. If XF medicines enter use within hospitals they will represent the first completely new class of antibacterial drug for quite some time".

September 2009: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love Invited to Speak at the 11th Annual UBS Global Life Sciences Conference

Destiny Pharma CEO, Dr Bill Love was invited to present an overview of the Company and its product pipeline at the UBS Global Life Sciences conference in New York on the 21-23 September. This is a global premier congress where 270 of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies gather to update the financial community on progress and future aims. Alongside companies such as AstraZeneca, Novartis, Cubist Pharmaceuticals and F Hoffmann La-Roche, the conference attendees included institutional investors from the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Dr Love said "This was an excellent forum to update a very informed audience on the exciting developments that have occurred at Destiny Pharma over the last 12 months, as well as gaining an insight into the directions the industry is moving".

September 2009: Destiny Pharma Presents at the 49th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Meeting in San Francisco, USA

Destiny Pharma was invited to present three poster presentations at this year's prestigious ICAAC meeting in San Francisco, focusing on the latest data on the company's expanding portfolio of exciting antibacterial drugs. Data on the anti-biofilm activity of XF-70 was presented, demonstrating the potential for treatment and prevention of biofilm-related bacterial infections. In vivo efficacy data on XF-70 was also presented for the first time at this prestigious conference. New data on the antibacterial screening of a further six compounds in the company's portfolio were also presented, all of which demonstrated good antibacterial activity against important MRSA strains, including USA300, the strain responsible for the vast majority of Community-acquired MRSA infections in the USA.

August 2009: Recent Media Coverage of Destiny Pharma

The data presented at this year's 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) meeting held in Helsinki, Finland in May 2009 has been widely reported by a number of different pharmaceutical sector journals including PharmacyEurope, Medical News Today, the May issue of Anti Infective Drug News and the July/August issue of National Health Executive.

August 2009: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love Invited to Speak at the 2010 SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs Conference

Following on from his well received presentation at the 2009 meeting, Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma has been invited as one of a select number of speakers from the pharmaceutical industry to deliver a further presentation at the 12th SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs Conference to be held in London in March 2010.

July 2009: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love Invited to Speak at Whitehall at the Westminster Health Forum Meeting

Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma has been invited to make a speech at the July meeting of the Westminster Health Forum in Whitehall on 14th July 2009 on the subject of 'The role of Prevention & Early Diagnosis: (The Role of Innovation, new medicines & equipment)".

June 2009: Destiny Pharma Abstracts Accepted for ICAAC 2009

Destiny Pharma have had all three abstract submissions made to the prestigious 49th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) meeting to be held in San Francisco in September 2009 accepted for presentation. The abstracts will present new data on a number of new compounds coming through Destiny's development pipeline. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said "With XF-73, our lead compound for nasal decolonisation continuing its development in clinical trials, this recognition by ICAAC of the continued progress of Destiny Pharma's pipeline of further compounds in other therapeutic indications is an important milestone".

May 2009: Destiny Pharma Presents at the 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) held in Helsinki, Finland

Destiny Pharma was invited to present exciting new data on the mechanism of action of it's portfolio of drugs at this year's ECCMID meeting in Helsinki, Finland. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said "The demonstration that the unique and rapid antibacterial properties of the XF drugs has been extended to other platforms in the Destiny Pharma portfolio received a lot of interest and we are very excited by the potential of these compounds for application in new therapeutic indications".

March 2009: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love invited to speak at the 2009 SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs conference

Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma was one of 10 invited speakers from the pharmaceutical industry to deliver presentations on advances in new anti-microbial drugs at the SMI Superbugs and Superdrugs conference held in London. Dr Love's presentation was entitled, "Creating New Approaches to Overcome Bacterial Resistance".

March 2009: Destiny Pharma CEO Dr Bill Love invited to speak at the 2009 Society of General Microbiology Spring conference

Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma was invited to present an overview of the XF Drug Platforms at the UK's Society of General Microbiology conference held in Harrogate.

March 2009: Destiny Pharma Call for Faster Acting Drugs

Widespread coverage of the call by Dr Bill Love, the CEO of Destiny Pharma for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to use faster acting anti-bacterial drugs to implement the proposal for MRSA screening all NHS staff put forward by Sir Richard Branson, the vice-president of the UK Patients Association has been reported (Hospital Healthcare, Medical News Today, Pharma Marketletter & Anti-Infective Drug News). Dr Love said ""Eradication of MRSA from patients must be the first priority. Once this is in place the next logical step to quickly lower MRSA transmission and infection rates is to screen hospital staff for MRSA and treat them immediately if they are found to be carriers. All of the people who have opposed Sir Richard Branson's proposal have done so on the grounds of the impracticality and cost involved in putting members of hospital staff out of action for two weeks. Yet effective MRSA decolonisation does not need to take two or even one week to effect - this is just the treatment protocol for the drugs that are currently available. Better drugs are needed alongside a commitment to screening."

February 2009: Destiny Pharma Abstract Accepted for ECCMID 2009

Destiny Pharma has had its abstract reporting further results on the mechanism of action of it's portfolio of XF platform drugs accepted for presentation at the 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) meeting to be held in Helsinki, Finland in May 2009. Dr Bill Love, CEO of Destiny Pharma said: "The results to be presented at this prestigious conference will provide details about the rapid anti-bacterial action of new drugs under development within the Destiny Pharma portfolio".

December 2008: Destiny Pharma £4.8 Million Fundraising Reported

The results of Destiny Pharma's recent successful £4.8 million ($7.1 million) financing round have been reported by Anti-Infective Drug News, Pharma Marketletter and M&A Deals. Non-executive director Howard Matthews said: "Given the financial climate, this investment is a poignant reflection of the urgent need for effective drug for MRSA. A drug that could prevent infection without generating resistance would save health services money, as well as lives. Our shareholders believe the XF series can meet this need."

December 2008: Destiny Pharma Invited to Contribute to the Debate on the Cost-Effectiveness of Drugs

Dr Bill Love, the CEO of Destiny Pharma has been invited to examine how prevention strategies are changing the debate on the cost-effectiveness of drugs - with MRSA as a key example in the December issue of the European Healthcare Law & Regulatory News (EURALex). Dr Love said "With global economies in turmoil, politicians are under increased pressure to ensure taxpayers' money is spent efficiently. This will inevitably put pharmaceutical costs under greater scrutiny, thereby supporting the argument for drugs to be cost-effective."

October 2008: Destiny Pharma Presents at the joint 48th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC)/Infectious Diseases of America (IDSA) 46th Annual Meeting in Washington, USA

Destiny Pharma was invited to present five poster presentations and an oral presentation at this year's joint ICAAC/IDSA meeting in Washington DC on the latest data on the company's portfolio of exciting antibacterial compounds. The company presented data on the startling anti-biofilm activity of its lead compound XF-73 which garnered a significant amount of interest amongst delegates. New data on the mode of action of the rapid antibacterial activity of Destiny Pharma's lead compound, XF-73 was also presented, complemented by further data on in vitro resistance investigations, compared to marketed antibiotics. In vivo efficacy data on DPD-207, another of Destiny's exciting portfolio of compounds was presented for the first time at this prestigious conference.

May 2008: Media Coverage of Destiny Pharma

The worldwide media has heralded Destiny Pharma's XF-73 as a breakthrough treatment for MRSA. More than 200 articles appeared in May 2008 alone. The significance of Destiny Pharma's breakthrough treatment for MRSA has received widespread recognition throughout the world's media. Reports that XF-73 kills the five most deadly strains of MRSA even after 55 repeat doses was front page news in the UK press and made headlines in TV and radio. Here is a sample of quotes from just a few of them:

FRONT PAGE STORY Independent on Sunday-MRSA: The cure
"A cure for MRSA appears to be within grasp after scientists claimed to have developed a drug that destroys the most virulent strains of the deadly superbug. The breakthrough by British researchers could save 1,600 lives a year and wipe out the highly infectious bacteria". Read full story.

BBC News-New drug 'can kill MRSA superbug'
"Researchers at Brighton-based Destiny Pharma are testing the bactericidal compound in the hope it can be used in hospitals by 2011". Read full story.

FRONT PAGE STORY Daily Express-Wonder gel will cure MRSA
"The revolutionary compound, codename XF-73, is easily applied in a gel to the nostrils. It succeeds where traditional antibiotics fail because it kills the virus outright - rather than merely trying to contain it - by attacking the membrane and preventing it from mutating". Read full story.

Daily Mail-Could a dab of gel to the nose beat superbug MRSA?
"Crucially, the compound works in a different-way to antibiotics, many of which simply prevent MRSA from multiplying in the body. XF-73 works by destroying the superbug's cell membrane". Read full story.

Daily Telegraph-MRSA: UK scientists close to a treatment
"Unlike most anti-MRSA drugs which just prevent the bacterium growing and breeding, XF-73 is intended actually to kill the microbes. And as studies suggest that MRSA does not develop resistance to the drug, even after repeated exposures, researchers are optimistic that it could hold the key to stamping out the disease". Read full story.

May 2008: Nasal MRSA colonization rate in USA doubles in two years

The National Center for Preparedness, Detection & Control of Infectious Diseases and the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, USA, published a major article entitled, Changes in the Prevalence of Nasal Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in the United States, 2001-2204, in the Journal of Infectious Disease, 1st May, 2008: 197, 1226-34.

Surveys of over >9,000 US citizens, (covering all age groups), tested for nasal colonization with MRSA during two time periods, 2001-2002 and 2003-2004. The results showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in the rate of nasal MRSA carriage in the population between the two time points, 0.8% (2001-2002) and 1.5% (2003-2004). This would equate to approximately 4.5 million US citizens with nasal MRSA colonization in 2003-2004.

April 2008: Destiny Pharma Presents at ECCMID 2008

The latest data on in vitro resistance investigations, the Gram-positive antibacterial spectrum and investigations into the mode of action of the rapid antibacterial activity of Destiny Pharma's lead compound, XF-73, was presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) held between 19th and 22nd of April in Barcelona, Spain.

April 2008: Destiny Pharma issues press release at ECCMID 2008

Destiny Pharma issued the following press release at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) on the exciting data presented at the conference on the world's longest passage study on MRSA strains finds which found no development of resistance to Destiny Pharma's lead antimicrobial, XF-73.

PRESS RELEASE: A pharmaceutical company pioneering a new approach to antimicrobials is today announcing the results of its 55 passage study into the major infection causing strains of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Destiny Pharma tested the efficacy of its XF-73 drug against five of the most clinically important and difficult to treat Hospital Associated (HA) and Community Associated (CA)-MRSA strains in the world. This study included the most prevalent HA-MRSA clone in the USA (NRS 382) and two major CA-MRSA strains (USA300 and USA400) over 55 passages yet found no development of resistance to XF-73. This is believed to be the longest drug resistance, bacterial passage study conducted by any drug development company to date.

XF-73 is a leading drug in Destiny Pharma's new class of antimicrobial agents, which have a fundamentally different mode of action to antibiotics. Studies to date indicate that the activity of XF-73 appears to result from a lethal interaction with the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane.

This novel way of working means that the XF drug series may not be predisposed to any of the current pathways by which bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics. It has been shown to be effective against a range of Gram positive bacteria including MSSA, HA-MRSA, CA-MRSA, and Clostridium difficile.

Today's results suggest that XF-73's remote resistance profile may allow widespread MRSA decolonisation in hospitals to support national initiatives for effective infection control. XF-73's efficacy and the lack of resistance displayed by USA 300 after 55 passages may also have significant ramifications in the battle against CA-MRSA.

The 55 passage study also included the topical antibiotic fusidic acid as a comparator and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined for both this and XF-73. During the trial five 'Network on Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus" (NARSA) strains were tested: NRS382 (USA 100), NRS384 (USA 300), NRS271, NRS123 (USA 400) and NRS387 (USA 800). All five strains were passaged 55 times at 0.5 MIC to determine any increase in the MIC.

The initial MICs of XF-73 and fusidic acid against the five strains tested were 0.25-0.5 mg/L and 0.12-0.25mg/L respectively. The results showed that all five strains tested rapid developed resistance to fusidic acid as demonstrated by a rapid increase in the MIC of fusidic acid after only two to five repeat passages. At the end of the study, the MIC of fusidic acid had increased over 2000-fold in four MRSA strains and over 1000-fold in the fifth strain. XF-73 on the other hand had shown no significant increase in MIC, indicating that no resistance had developed in any of the five MRSA's, even after 55 passages.

Destiny Pharma has completed its first Phase I clinical trial and is initiating further clinical studies in 2008. The company gained approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2007 to conduct Phase I clinical trials in the UK using XF-73 for nasal decolonisation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

It is anticipated that the XF-73 compound will generate a huge amount of interest as it could lead to the marketing of a range of new medicines which could play a key role in the future treatment of both hospital and community acquired MRSAs and other infections.

The study report from the first Phase I clinical study of XF-73 is expected later this year.

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