Centauri Therapeutics Receives an Additional $5.1 Million From CARB-X to Progress ABX-01 Lead Compound to First-in-Human Clinical Trials

Centauri Therapeutics Limited recently announced CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) has provided an additional $5.1 million in funding for the development of their lead compound. The funds will contribute to the advancement of the lead candidate in Centauri’s ABX-01 program into first-in-human clinical studies, and this latest funding brings CARB-X’s total support from 2019 to date to $12.3 million.

Centauri announced the selection of its first clinical candidate in the ABX-01 program in March 2025. The candidate is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial specifically selected to combat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Based on the company’s proprietary Alphamer platform, it is designed to target serious Gram-negative bacterial infections in the lung, expanding therapeutic options for the most vulnerable patients. It employs a dual mechanism of action, combining immunotherapeutic effects through complement fixation and phagocytosis with intrinsic antibacterial properties, within a single molecule. Early efficacy studies have demonstrated the compound’s activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

“The unwavering scientific and financial support from CARB-X has provided stability to Centauri as a company, expanded understanding of our Alphamer platform, and enabled us to progress the ABX-01 program from discovery, through early development, and is now providing a smooth and continuous path toward First-in-Human clinical studies,” said Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Chief Executive Officer, Centauri Therapeutics. “We are thankful for CARB-X and their continued engagement and confidence, which has allowed us to move a step closer to delivering a much needed therapeutic for serious, drug-resistant Gram-negative infections, even in the most clinically vulnerable patients.”

Dr. Erin Duffy, Chief of Research and Development, CARB-X, added “We have been proud to support Centauri, beginning with answering key questions on the approach and continuing with the drug discovery that has led to the lead asset of ABX-01 and its progression towards building a dossier to support its advancement into first in human clinical trials.”

CARB-X’s funding for this project is provided in part with federal funds from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under agreement number: 75A50122C00028, and by awards from Wellcome (WT224842), and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CARB-X or any of its funders.

Centauri Therapeutics is an immunotherapy company, with a unique and proprietary platform technology applicable across a wide range of therapeutic indications. The company’s initial focus is on infectious diseases, driven by an urgent unmet need for anti-infectives to treat the most vulnerable and at-risk patients. Centauri also has strong initial proof-of-concept data in oncology. Centauri’s Alphamer platform has a unique mechanism of action, utilizing an antibody recruiting molecule to harness the body’s natural immune response, and redirect antibodies to target diseases. Based at Alderley Park, Cheshire UK, Centauri’s investors include Animatrix Founders LLP Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Evotec SE, Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund, and Wren Capital LLP. The Company’s anti-infective platform also receives financial and scientific support from CARB-X and PACE. For more information, visit www.centauritherapeutics.com.

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X supports innovative therapeutics, preventatives and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funded by a consortium of governments and foundations. CARB-X funds only projects that target the most serious, resistant bacteria identified on global priority lists, syndromes with the greatest global morbidity and mortality, and performance characteristics necessary for patients.