ContraFect Announces Issuance of Composition of Matter Patent for CF-370 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office

YONKERS, N.Y., May 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ContraFect Corporation CFRX, a late clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of direct lytic agents (DLAs), including lysins and amurin peptides, as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,988,520 (the ‘520 patent), on April 27, 2021 for CF-370, the company's second potential therapeutic product candidate. The ‘520 patent, which is owned by ContraFect, expires in March of 2039, and is the latest U.S. patent to issue from the company's DLA patent portfolio.

The ‘520 patent, entitled "Lysin-Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) Polypeptide Constructs, Lysins, Isolated Polynucleotides Encoding Same and Uses Thereof" contains composition of matter claims covering the CF-370 construct, and claims for methods of treating Gram-negative bacterial infections, including those caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli.  

This patent demonstrates the Company's commitment to developing an investigational product targeting P. aeruginosa, a Gram-negative pathogen that causes severe infections, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonias and pulmonary exacerbations of cystic fibrosis infections. Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane that makes them more resistant to antibiotics. CF-370 has been molecularly engineered to bypass this outer membrane to enable potent antimicrobial activity in human serum in vitro, providing a novel mechanism to potentially address life-threatening P. aeruginosa infections. By killing targeted bacteria upon contact, lysins are fundamentally different than conventional antibiotics.

"With the issuance of this important patent, we continue expanding ContraFect's strong intellectual property estate covering this new class of antibacterial drugs. We believe that our superiority-based therapeutic approach, led by the Phase 3 exebacase program being developed for Staph aureus bacteremia, has the potential to fundamentally transform the treatment of patients with life-threatening infections. The need for innovative approaches that address the growing scourge of drug-resistant bacterial infectious diseases is well recognized and we believe that our direct lytic agents could be a significant part of the global solution to this issue," said Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D., President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of ContraFect.

About CF-370:

CF-370 is an investigational first-in-class therapeutic candidate targeting P. aeruginosa, a Gram-negative pathogen. CF-370 has been engineered to bypass the outer membrane of the bacteria and to enable potent activity in human serum. The Company believes this is a significant milestone for direct lytic agents as native lysins are typically unable to penetrate the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and consequently unable to work in vitro in human blood or in animal models. However, based on the proprietary methods the Company has identified and utilizes to engineer lysins, CF-370 has exhibited the hallmark in vitro features of the lysin class, including rapid and potent bactericidal activity, synergy with a broad range of standard of care agents and the eradication of biofilms in preclinical studies. The promising data from animal models support the potential therapeutic utility of CF-370 for the treatment of serious infections caused by P. aeruginosa, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonias and pulmonary exacerbations of cystic fibrosis.

About ContraFect:

ContraFect is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of DLAs, including lysins and amurin peptides, as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections. An estimated 700,000 deaths worldwide each year are attributed to antimicrobial-resistant infections. We intend to address life threatening infections using our therapeutic product candidates from our platform of DLAs, which include lysins and amurin peptides. Lysins are a new class of DLAs which are recombinantly produced antimicrobial proteins with a novel mechanism of action associated with the rapid killing of target bacteria, eradication of biofilms and synergy with conventional antibiotics. Amurin peptides are a novel class of DLAs which exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, and Enterobacter species. We believe that the properties of our lysins and amurin peptides will make them suitable for targeting antibiotic-resistant organisms, such as MRSA and P. aeruginosa, which can cause serious infections such as bacteremia, pneumonia and osteomyelitis. We have completed a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of Staph aureus bacteremia, including endocarditis, with our lead lysin candidate, exebacase, which is the first lysin to enter clinical studies in the U.S. Exebacase, currently being studied in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study, was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of MRSA bloodstream infections, including right-sided endocarditis, when used in addition to SOC anti-staphylococcal antibiotics in adult patients.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains, and our officers and representatives may make from time to time, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "projects," "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "potential," "promise" or similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, statements regarding: the ‘520 patent, the features and properties of CF-370, the Company's portfolio, ContraFect's ability to discover and develop DLAs as new medical modalities for the treatment of life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections, whether ContraFect will address life-threatening infections using its DLA platform, whether lysins are a new class of DLAs which are recombinantly produced, antimicrobial proteins with a novel mechanism of action associated with the rapid killing of target bacteria, eradication of biofilms and synergy with conventional antibiotics, whether amurins are a novel class of DLAs which exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, and whether the properties of ContraFect's lysins and amurins will make them suitable for targeting antibiotic-resistant organisms, such as MRSA and P. aeruginosa. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on ContraFect's current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of its business, future plans, strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond ContraFect's control, including the occurrence of any adverse events related to the discovery, development and commercialization of ContraFect's product candidates such as unfavorable clinical trial results, insufficient supplies of drug products, the lack of regulatory approval, or the unsuccessful attainment or maintenance of patent protection and other important risks detailed under the caption "Risk Factors" in ContraFect's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others, our ability to develop treatments for drug-resistant infectious diseases. Any forward-looking statement made by ContraFect in this press release is based only on information currently available and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable law, ContraFect expressly disclaims any obligations to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contacts

Michael Messinger
ContraFect Corporation
mmessinger@contrafect.com

Carlo Tanzi, Ph.D.
Kendall Investor Relations
ctanzi@kendallinvestorrelations.com