The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has invested up to an additional $4.85 million in Aridis Pharmaceuticals to continue testing a non-traditional anti-infective drug that could help fight drug-resistant infections in people with cystic fibrosis.

Through the Infection Research Initiative, the CF Foundation is pursuing novel approaches to treating drug-resistant infections. One approach is through funding the completion of this Phase 2a clinical trial of an inhaled form of gallium. In this trial, gallium is used to replace iron, a nutrient that all bacteria need to grow. Without iron, bacteria starve and die as a result. Because gallium is not an antibiotic, it could provide an alternative method to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Aridis completed enrollment of the Phase 2a clinical trial in November and expects to report top-line data in the first quarter of 2023. Including this funding, the CF Foundation has provided a total of $12.5 million in support.

Gallium was previously approved for IV use in some people and is also being studied in a Phase 1 trial to determine its effectiveness in treating infections in people with CF.

To support the fight against drug-resistant infections, the Foundation has led a coordinated grassroots advocacy campaign to urge Congress to pass the PASTEUR Act, federal legislation that would support the development of new antibiotics and promote appropriate use of existing ones. Most recently, the Foundation partnered with a coalition to send a letter signed by more than 160 organizations to Congress expressing support for the PASTEUR Act.