Investment summary

A recent proposal from the Infectious Diseases Society of America that would enable the US FDA to review certain kinds of antibiotics in a similar way to orphan drugs could in the longer term benefit AmpliPhi, whose bacteriophage approach could thus potentially gain approval more easily. Earlier, AmpliPhi completed a £2.7m credit loan note fund raising from the prominent private investors Jim Mellon and Gwynn Williams. The US company Celladon has raised $43m to advance its Mydicar project, on which AmpliPhi could receive milestone payments, and another partner, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, has been acquired by the private company uniQure BV.

Last updated on 23/04/2012

Industry outlook

The growth of resistance to antibiotics is a serious problem, and pharma companies look likely to shift increasingly away from chemical antibiotics and towards new methods of combating bacterial infections. AmpliPhi's pioneering development of bacteriophages, which specifically target bacteria, might benefit from a faster and less expensive path to market.

Last updated on 23/04/2012