Motif Bio PLC (LON:MTFB) shares gained on Wednesday as the firm revealed that it has partnered up with Scottish biotech Lamellar Biomedical to develop a treatment for lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
AIM-quoted Motif already owns a next generation antibiotic called iclaprim, while Lamellar’s LMS-611 is known to have mucus-clearing properties and has been shown to boost the performance of antibiotics.
READ: Motif Bio seeks talks with US drugs regulator
Iclaprim has been granted orphan drug designation in the US for Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in patients with CF, and LMS-611 has a European orphan drug designation for the disorder.
Based on the data from each drug so far, the companies believe combining the two could create a “promising potential treatment” for CF patients with lung infections.
As part of the tie-up, Motif Bio will carry out an in vivo study evaluating iclaprim in combination with LMS-611.
“We have been looking for a way to optimise the development of iclaprim in patients with CF,” said chief executive Motif Bio.
“We are excited about the preliminary data we have seen with Lamellar's technology and look forward to evaluating it in combination with iclaprim.”
In afternoon trading, shares in Motif Bio were 7.6% higher at 9.34p.
In a note to clients, analysts at ‘house’ broker Peel Hunt commented: “This is an incremental positive for iclaprim, reminding investors of its wider potential as an antibiotic but – as a reminder – we await Motif’s perspective following the FDA meeting on 3 May in respect of icalprim’s CRL for ABSSSI (14th Feb) and, perhaps more importantly, the receipt of the meeting minutes expected c30 days afterwards (c3 June).”
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