Venus Remedies partners with Infex Therapeutics for clinical development of MET-X in India

Venus Remedies has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with UK-based Infex Therapeutics for the clinical development, registration, and commercialisation of MET-X, a metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) inhibitor designed to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Under the terms of the agreement, Venus Remedies will lead the clinical development of MET-X in India, focusing on combining the drug with meropenem to target drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The company will hold exclusive marketing rights for MET-X in India.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Surveillance Network-Annual Report 2023, meropenem resistance in WHO critical priority pathogens, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, ranges from 62 per cent to 87 per cent, with up to 50 per cent attributed to MBL prevalence.

Venus Remedies plans to initiate a Phase I clinical trial involving healthy volunteers in India to evaluate MET-X in combination with meropenem. Upon successful completion, the focus will shift to Phase II/III trials targeting drug-resistant complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), commonly seen in hospital settings.

This partnership aligns with Venus Remedies’ expertise in antibiotic research and development, strengthening its position in the Indian critical care sector. The company’s established market presence in meropenem manufacturing is expected to facilitate the integration of MET-X into future antibiotic treatment strategies.

All trials conducted in India will adhere to international standards and comply with guidelines from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The agreement allows for potential expansion to include other MET-X and beta-lactam combinations, subject to mutually agreed terms.

MET-X, developed by Infex Therapeutics, is a broad-spectrum MBL inhibitor aimed at restoring the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics, such as meropenem, against Gram-negative bacteria that produce MBL enzymes. The treatment targets MBL-resistant strains, including Escherichia coli and K. pneumoniae, and has demonstrated promising results in preclinical animal studies. The development of treatments for MBL resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is considered a critical priority by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Saransh Chaudhary, President of Global Critical Care at Venus Remedies and CEO of Venus Medicine Research Centre, commented, “This early-stage introduction of MET-X into the Indian market leverages our decades-long dedication to AMR-focused R&D and our prominent role in critical care and antibiotic therapies. This partnership is perfectly poised to enhance our antibiotic arsenal with meropenem and explore further beta-lactam combinations, ensuring high-quality research and a significant market presence.”

Pawan Chaudhary, Chairman and Managing Director of Venus Remedies, added, “The in-licensing of MET-X is a major step forward in providing breakthrough solutions for drug-resistant infections, a serious threat to India’s healthcare ecosystem. Our aim is to develop an effective solution against MBL-producing pathogens, fulfilling a critical healthcare need and continuing our commitment to transformative therapies and sustained innovation in critical care.”

Dr Peter Jackson, CEO of Infex Therapeutics, stated, “I am delighted about this agreement with Venus Remedies, which will facilitate the comprehensive clinical development of our MET-X program in India. By leveraging Venus Remedies’ robust expertise in critical care antibiotics, we can accelerate MET-X as our second clinical-stage drug program. Crucially, the international standards of these trials will also support future regulatory filings in the UK, U.S., Europe, and other global markets. MET-X has shown best-in-class performance in preclinical studies and could be game-changing for patients suffering from Gram-negative, MBL-resistant infections.”