Rib-X Granted Key Antibiotic Patent in China
New Haven, Connecticut. April 15, 2009 — Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Rib-X" or the
Company), a development stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel
antibiotics for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections, today announced the
issuance of a key antibiotic patent in China. The State Intellectual Property Office of
the People's Republic of China has issued Chinese Patent Number ZL 2004 8 0021883.9 to Rib-X.
This patent provides composition of matter protection for Rib-X's novel oxazolidinone
antibiotic, radezolid. Rib-X has established a broad patent portfolio related to radezolid,
including the issuance of composition of matter for radezolid in the U.S. The Company
anticipates issuance of additional patents in all major and emerging markets.
"This Chinese patent strengthens Rib-X's existing intellectual property portfolio and underscores our ability to successfully design and develop antibiotics that overcome resistant bacteria," said Susan Froshauer, Ph.D., President and C.E.O. of Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. "China is the world's largest emerging pharmaceutical market, and the issuance of this patent enhances Rib-X's commerical opportunities in this important region of the world."
About Radezolid
Radezolid is a novel oxazolidinone that was discovered using Rib-X's proprietary discovery process and was designed to expand the bacterial spectrum and improve the utility of this class of antibiotics relative to the only other oxazolidinone marketed in the world, Zyvox® (linezolid). Rib-X is developing both oral and IV formulations for use in serious hospital Gram-positive infections, including those caused by MRSA and linezolid- and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Radezolid is the subject of a second ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial for community- acquired pneumoniae (CAP). This compound has been shown to be microbiologically more active than linezolid against Gram-positive organisms, including potent activity against linezolid- resistant bacteria, in prior studies.
About Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a product-driven small molecule drug discovery and development company focused on the structure-based design of new classes of antibiotics. The Company's underlying drug discovery engine capitalizes on its proprietary high-resolution crystal structure of the ribosome, which performs an essential role in protein synthesis. Many known, commercially valuable antibiotics exert their effects by binding to the bacterial ribosome. The Company's integrated research strategy, which combines state-of-the-art, proprietary computational analysis, X-ray crystallography, medicinal chemistry, microbiology and biochemistry, allows it to rapidly synthesize new agents designed to avoid typical antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Rib-X's iterative intelligent engine has yielded several distinctive new antibiotics that can be used for the treatment of either community- or hospital-acquired infections. In addition to delafloxacin, Rib-X is currently in Phase 2 trials with radezolid (RX-1741), an oxazolidinone that was discovered at Rib-X, as an oral/IV agent for treatment of serious Gram-positive infections. The Rχ-04 discovery program is developing novel classes of antibiotics active against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria and the Rχ-02 discovery program is focused on developing an IV/oral macrolide active against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and S. pyogenes. Both delafloxacin and radezolid are currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.
"This Chinese patent strengthens Rib-X's existing intellectual property portfolio and underscores our ability to successfully design and develop antibiotics that overcome resistant bacteria," said Susan Froshauer, Ph.D., President and C.E.O. of Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. "China is the world's largest emerging pharmaceutical market, and the issuance of this patent enhances Rib-X's commerical opportunities in this important region of the world."
About Radezolid
Radezolid is a novel oxazolidinone that was discovered using Rib-X's proprietary discovery process and was designed to expand the bacterial spectrum and improve the utility of this class of antibiotics relative to the only other oxazolidinone marketed in the world, Zyvox® (linezolid). Rib-X is developing both oral and IV formulations for use in serious hospital Gram-positive infections, including those caused by MRSA and linezolid- and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Radezolid is the subject of a second ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial for community- acquired pneumoniae (CAP). This compound has been shown to be microbiologically more active than linezolid against Gram-positive organisms, including potent activity against linezolid- resistant bacteria, in prior studies.
About Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a product-driven small molecule drug discovery and development company focused on the structure-based design of new classes of antibiotics. The Company's underlying drug discovery engine capitalizes on its proprietary high-resolution crystal structure of the ribosome, which performs an essential role in protein synthesis. Many known, commercially valuable antibiotics exert their effects by binding to the bacterial ribosome. The Company's integrated research strategy, which combines state-of-the-art, proprietary computational analysis, X-ray crystallography, medicinal chemistry, microbiology and biochemistry, allows it to rapidly synthesize new agents designed to avoid typical antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Rib-X's iterative intelligent engine has yielded several distinctive new antibiotics that can be used for the treatment of either community- or hospital-acquired infections. In addition to delafloxacin, Rib-X is currently in Phase 2 trials with radezolid (RX-1741), an oxazolidinone that was discovered at Rib-X, as an oral/IV agent for treatment of serious Gram-positive infections. The Rχ-04 discovery program is developing novel classes of antibiotics active against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria and the Rχ-02 discovery program is focused on developing an IV/oral macrolide active against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and S. pyogenes. Both delafloxacin and radezolid are currently in Phase 2 clinical trials.
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