Engineered Peptide PLG0206 Overcomes Activity, Safety, and Pharmacokinetic Limitations of a Challenging Drug Class
David Huang
CMO, Peptilogics
The absence of novel antibiotics for drug-resistant and biofilm associated infections is a global public health crisis. Antimicrobial peptides explored to address this need have encountered significant development challenges associated with size, toxicity, safety profile, and pharmacokinetics. We designed PLG0206, an engineered antimicrobial peptide, to address these limitations. PLG0206 has broad-spectrum activity against >1,200 multi-drug resistant (MDR) ESKAPEE clinical isolates, is rapidly bactericidal, and displays potent anti-biofilm activity against diverse MDR pathogens. PLG0206 displays activity in diverse animal infection models following both systemic (urinary tract infection) and local (prosthetic joint infection) administration. Systemic administration in a Phase I clinical study demonstrated PLG0206 was safe with improved pharmacokinetics (6.5–12.2 h half-life and 25.5–97.7 L apparent volume of distribution). These findings support continuing clinical development of PLG0206 and validate use of rational design for peptide therapeutics to overcome limitations associated with difficult-to-drug pharmaceutical targets.
Dr. David Huang serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Peptilogics and has approximately 20 years of clinical, academic, industry and research experience in infectious diseases and is well-versed in the design, execution of Phase I – III clinical trials for both antibacterials and antiviral agents. He also serves as an attending physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs and has had increasing responsibilities and leadership positions at Pfizer, ContraFect Corp and Motif Bio. Dr. Huang earned his MD and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Texas at School of Medicine and School of Public Health.