Crestone Joins Antimicrobials Working Group

The Antimicrobials Working Group (AWG) announced today the addition of Crestone, Inc. (Crestone) to its coalition of companies with the mission to combat drug resistant infections and spur life-saving innovations. This new addition brings AWG's membership to 12 antimicrobial drug companies.

Crestone is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on inventing and developing novel small molecule drugs for serious bacterial infections, including C. difficile Infection (CDI), resistant Gram-positive infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and chronic infections such as nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease. Their lead product candidate, CRS3123, for the treatment of CDI, is in Phase 2 clinical development sponsored by NIAID (NIH) and has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) and Fast Track designation by the FDA.

"The development of safe and effective antimicrobials is an important component in ensuring that physicians are equipped with the best treatment options for dangerous, and hard to treat, drug-resistant pathogens. Crestone has demonstrated a commitment to developing novel small molecule drugs for serious bacterial infections," said Ted Schroeder, Chief Executive Officer of Nabriva Therapeutics and Chairman of AWG. "We are excited to have Urs Ochsner and his team join our coalition as we continue to push for critical legislative and regulatory changes that will stabilize the antimicrobial ecosystem, support innovation, and provide patients with the treatments they need to survive life threatening infections."

"The current pandemic reminds us of the need to prepare now to combat emerging infectious diseases. This includes the specter of losing antibiotics due to resistance; a major threat to modern medicine," said Urs Ochsner, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Crestone, Inc. "We are glad to be a part of AWG, a most important platform to team up with like-minded companies against resistant bacterial infections to develop safe and novel life-saving medicines for the future."

All pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing new antimicrobial therapeutics and diagnostic devices are eligible for consideration of membership in AWG. 

About Crestone's Pipeline.

CRS3123 for the treatment of CDI currently is in Phase 2 clinical development. The compound targets methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS) and has demonstrated accumulation in the gut, inhibition of toxin and spore formation, and a very narrow spectrum of activity.

CRS0540 is in preclinical development. The mechanistically novel oral/IV antibacterial drug candidate targets PolC, the catalytic subunit of the replicative DNA polymerase in Gram-positive bacteria. It is intended for treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

CRS0393 is in preclinical development for the treatment of pulmonary NTM disease via inhaled and/or oral therapy.  It is a selective antibacterial compound targeting the essential mycobacterial MmpL3 enzyme.

About The Antimicrobials Working Group

AWG was founded in 2012 with the vision of utilizing collective power to improve the regulatory, investment, and commercial environment for emerging infectious disease companies. Today, AWG is comprised of twelve antimicrobials companies: Cidara Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CDTX), Crestone, Inc., Entasis Therapeutics Inc., Iterum Therapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ITRM), Melinta Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: MLNT), Nabriva Therapeutics US Inc. (NASDAQ: NBRV), Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PRTK), Qpex Biopharma, Inc., SCYNEXIS Inc. (NASDAQ: SCYX), Summit Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: SMMT) (AIM: SUMM), UTILITY therapeutics Ltd., and Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About The Conafay Group

The Conafay Group, led by Stephen R. Conafay, Principal, is a life-sciences government relations firm based in Washington D.C. that serves as Washington counsel and coalition manager for AWG.