Glox Therapeutics

Glox Therapeutics develops precision antibiotics using engineered protein bacteriocins. These novel antimicrobials are claimed to selectively target gram-negative pathogens that have already developed antimicrobial resistance, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae that cause serious infections associated with high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and mortality. The company aims to advance the field of antimicrobial therapy by overcoming resistance to traditional antibiotics by focusing on selectively eradicating target pathogens while preserving the patient’s microbiomes.

Glox Therapeutics works on developing highly effective antibiotics that specifically target harmful bacteria without disrupting the beneficial microbes in the host's microbiome. The company uses advanced bacteriocin technology based on research from the Kleanthous laboratory at the University of Oxford and the Walker laboratory at the University of Glasgow as the foundation for Glox Therapeutics. It claims that this innovative platform can be adapted to combat a wide range of Gram-negative pathogens. Initially, Glox will focus on addressing the pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, followed by Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii, which are listed as critical drug-resistant threats by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The primary medical condition Glox Therapeutics will target is ventilator-associated pneumonia, which will be treated through intravenous delivery of bacteriocin constructs. Additionally, they plan to address other acute pneumonias, bacteraemia, sepsis, and chronic lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Glox Therapeutics’s product pipeline as of January 2024 consisted of Glox001: targeting P. aeruginosa in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and Glox002: targeting K. pneumoniae in VAP.

Funding and financials

In November 2023, Glox Therapeutics raised GBP 4.3 million (~USD 5.3 million) in a seed funding round led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Scottish Enterprise. The company expected to use the funds to develop effective targeted therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, set up laboratories in Oxford and Glasgow, and expand its team to expedite its bacteriocin development program.