YONKERS, N.Y., April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ContraFect Corporation (Nasdaq: CFRX), a 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, announces today presentation data showing CF-370 is highly efficacious in a neutropenic rabbit pneumonia model against an extensively-drug-resistant (XDR) strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).These data were recently presented at the 33^rd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) Annual Meeting held from April 15-18, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“The data presented on CF-370 at ECCMID should not be understated. As a physician-scientist who has treated hundreds of immunocompromised patients with either hospital-acquired or ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP), the efficacy of CF-370 against an XDR strain of Pseudomonas in neutropenic animals provides hope for patients struggling to fight against life-threatening, resistant pathogens with a compromised immune system,” said Roger J. Pomerantz, MD, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of ContraFect. “Combined with the data from the presentations of CF-370’s novel mechanism of action against the Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens, we believe the potential for CF-370 to significantly improve clinical outcomes in HAP/VAP patients continues to dramatically increase.”

“The ability of CF-370 to not only show significant activity on its own, but to demonstrate the capability to restore the activity of amikacin against an amikacin-resistant Pseudomonas strain in this challenging model is quite important clinically,” added W. Garrett Nichols, MD, Interim Chief Medical Officer of ContraFect. “The results validate our view that CF-370 offers us a new paradigm to finally address the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance, where we still see mortality rates of up to 60% in patients with antibiotic-resistant HAP/VAP infections.”

All meeting presentations and posters referenced below are available on the ContraFect website.

ECCMID 2023 Presentations:

Oral Presentation Title:   Efficacy of lysin CF-370 in addition to amikacin in a neutropenic rabbit lung infection model caused by an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa

In this challenging model of pulmonary infection, neutropenic animals are treated with dose regimens of amikacin and CF-370 administered alone and CF-370 administered as both a single dose and in multiple doses in addition to amikacin. Amikacin alone did not demonstrate a significant reduction in bacterial density in the lungs compared to the vehicle controls (as expected for this amikacin-resistant strain). However, a single dose of CF-370 alone, and in addition to amikacin, significantly reduced bacteria counts compared to vehicle controls. The most significant reductions in bacterial density occurred with the administration of multiple doses of CF-370 in addition to amikacin were seen compared to all other treatment arms (p=0.0018 vs. amikacin alone, p=0.0083 vs. CF-370 alone, and p=0.0279 vs. CF-370 single dose + amikacin).

Poster Presentation Title: Activity of lysin CF-370 at the cell envelope of Gram-negative (GN) ESKAPE pathogens revealed by electron microscopy

In this study, the impact of CF-370 treatment on the surface ultrastructure of P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) was studied with and without the presence of human serum using electron microscopy (EM). The EM analysis elucidates that the mechanism of CF-370’s potent bacteriolytic activity against these Gram-negative pathogens is based on rapid cell wall destabilization followed by pore formation and lysis.

Poster Presentation Title:   Bacteriolytic and anti-virulence activities of engineered lysin CF-370 against Gram-negative (GN) ESKAPE pathogens

In this study, membrane permeability assays were used to demonstrate the capacity of CF-370 to disrupt the outer membrane and depolarize the inner membrane of P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, E. coli, E. cloacae and S. maltophilia. Furthermore, the membrane depolarization caused by CF-370, even at sub-lethal concentrations, demonstrates anti-virulence effects of impaired swarming motility and the prevention of biofilm formation.

Poster Presentation Title: Lysin exebacase exerts potent in vitro bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with pulmonary exacerbations (PExs) of cystic fibrosis (CF)

In this in vitro study, exebacase was profiled against clinical Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates from patients with CF. Minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum biofilm eradication concentration and time-kill assays were utilized. Exebacase demonstrated potent in vitro anti-staphylococcal activity against all CF patient isolates, including antibiotic-resistant colonies. Antibiofilm activity was also observed.

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 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.

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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 ECCMID presentations, data presented, and statements made regarding the same, CF-370 attributes, 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 therapeutic candidates from 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, without limitation, that ContraFect has and expects to continue to incur significant losses, ContraFect’s need for additional funding, which may not be available, 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, changes in management may negatively affect ContraFect’s business and other important risks detailed under the caption “Risk Factors” in ContraFect's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. 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
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