Overhead view of laboratory technician analyzing growing bacterial cultures in petri dish, science and microbiology background

ValenBio

MANAGEMENT: Clayton Duncan
DUKE INVENTORS: Eric Toone, Pei Zhou

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a common complication of critical illness. When multidrug resistant, Gram-negative pathogens are the cause of the pneumonia, the illness is particularly difficult to treat. Zhou, Fowler, and Toone are developing a new antibiotic that kills bacteria by inhibiting a particular enzyme involved in the synthesis of bacterial outer membrane. The DTRI funding will allow them to demonstrate the efficacy of this novel class of antibiotics against pathogens in mice, the next step in the journey of developing a new therapy.