Targanta Therapeutics Corporation

Last updated
Targanta Therapeutics
Type Public (Nasdaq:  TARG)
Industry Biotechnology
Successor The Medicines Company
Founded1997 (as PhageTech Inc.)
Defunct2009 (2009)
FateAcquired
Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts
Number of employees
82 9/24/07 per S-1
Website http://www.themedicinescompany.com/

Targanta Therapeutics Corporation was a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company also had operations in Indianapolis, Montreal and Toronto. Targanta completed its initial public offering on October 9, 2007 [1] and traded on the Nasdaq market under the symbol: TARG. Targanta was acquired by The Medicines Company in 2009. [2]

Development Programs

Targanta’s lead product candidate was oritavancin; a novel, semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotic being developed to treat serious Gram-positive infections in the hospital and other institutional settings. Oritavancin was originally discovered and developed by Eli Lilly; Targanta acquired worldwide rights to oritavancin from InterMune in late 2005. [3] Data presented at the 47th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in September 2007 demonstrated that oritavancin possesses potent and rapid bactericidal activity in vitro against a broad spectrum of both resistant and susceptible Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, Clostridium difficile and Streptococci. [4] Results have been presented but not yet published from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials testing the efficacy of oritavancin for the treatment of Complicated skin and skin-structure infections (cSSSI) caused by Gram-positive bacteria. The primary endpoints of both studies were successfully met, with oritavancin achieving efficacy with fewer days of therapy than the comparator agents (vancomycin followed by cephalexin). In addition, oritavancin showed a significantly improved safety profile with a 19.2 percent relative reduction in the overall incidence of adverse events versus vancomycin/cephalexin (p<0.001) in the second and larger pivotal trial. [5]

Targanta also developed a novel drug discovery platform to generate molecules that deliver antibiotics directly to the bone. Also at the 47th ICAAC meeting in September 2007, Targanta presented the first in vivo pre-clinical data on candidates from this program, demonstrating efficacy of its rifabutin-bisphosphonate prodrug (TT99000647) in a rabbit osteomyelitis model. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Enterococcus</i> Genus of bacteria

Enterococcus is a large genus of lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes. Enterococci are gram-positive cocci that often occur in pairs (diplococci) or short chains, and are difficult to distinguish from streptococci on physical characteristics alone. Two species are common commensal organisms in the intestines of humans: E. faecalis (90–95%) and E. faecium (5–10%). Rare clusters of infections occur with other species, including E. casseliflavus, E. gallinarum, and E. raffinosus.

Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Bacterium responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) refers to a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. MRSA is any strain of S. aureus that has developed or acquired a multiple drug resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Beta-lactam (β-lactam) antibiotics are a broad-spectrum group that include some penams and cephems such as the cephalosporins. Strains unable to resist these antibiotics are classified as methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, or MSSA.

Linezolid Antibiotic medication

Linezolid is an antibiotic used for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria that are resistant to other antibiotics. Linezolid is active against most Gram-positive bacteria that cause disease, including streptococci, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The main uses are infections of the skin and pneumonia although it may be used for a variety of other infections including drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is used either by injection into a vein or by mouth.

Clindamycin Antibiotic used for treatment of bacterial infections

Clindamycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections, including bone or joint infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, strep throat, pneumonia, middle ear infections, and endocarditis. It can also be used to treat acne, and some cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In combination with quinine, it can be used for malaria. It is available by mouth, by injection into a vein, and as a cream to be applied to the skin or in the vagina.

Vancomycin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Antibiotica resistant bacteria

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) are strains of Staphylococcus aureus that have become resistant to the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin.

Glycopeptide antibiotic

Glycopeptide antibiotics are a class of drugs of microbial origin that are composed of glycosylated cyclic or polycyclic nonribosomal peptides. Significant glycopeptide antibiotics include the anti-infective antibiotics vancomycin, teicoplanin, telavancin, ramoplanin and decaplanin, corbomycin, complestatin and the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin. Vancomycin is used if infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is suspected.

Cefuroxime axetil

Cefuroxime axetil, sold under the brand name Ceftin among others, is a second generation oral cephalosporin antibiotic.

Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals

Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Denver, Colorado that develops prescription therapies based on a platform of proprietary surface active technologies—skin Barrier Repair Technology (BRT) and Cerageninis, a new class of broad spectrum anti-infectives. The company discovers, develops and commercializes anti-infective drugs based on its proprietary class of compounds, Ceragenins. Active against a range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, these agents are being developed as anti-infective medical device coatings and as therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant organisms.

Oritavancin

Oritavancin, sold under the brand name Orbactiv among others, is a semisynthetic glycopeptide antibiotic medication for the treatment of serious Gram-positive bacterial infections. Its chemical structure as a lipoglycopeptide is similar to vancomycin.

Ceftobiprole

Ceftobiprole (Zevtera/Mabelio) is a fifth-generation cephalosporin for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia and community-acquired pneumonia. It is marketed by Basilea Pharmaceutica in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Austria under the trade name Zevtera, in France and Italy under the trade name Mabelio. Like other cephalosporins, ceftobiprole exerts its antibacterial activity by binding to important penicillin-binding proteins and inhibiting their transpeptidase activity which is essential for the synthesis of bacterial cell walls. Ceftobiprole has high affinity for penicillin-binding protein 2a of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and retains its activity against strains that express divergent mecA gene homologues. Ceftobiprole also binds to penicillin-binding protein 2b in Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-intermediate), to penicillin-binding protein 2x in Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-resistant), and to penicillin-binding protein 5 in Enterococcus faecalis.

Dalbavancin

{{Drugbox | Verifiedfields = changed | Watchedfields = changed | verifiedrevid = 385028149 | image = Dalbavancin_B0.svg | alt = | pronounce = | tradename = Dalvance, Xydalba, Zeven | Drugs.com = Monograph | MedlinePlus = a614036 | licence_CA = | licence_EU = yes | DailyMedID = Dalbavancin | licence_US = | pregnancy_AU = | pregnancy_AU_comment = | pregnancy_US = C | pregnancy_US_comment = | pregnancy_category= | dependency_liability = | addiction_liability = | routes_of_administration = Intravenous | class = | ATC_prefix = J01 | ATC_suffix = XA04 | ATC_supplemental = | legal_AU = | legal_AU_comment = | legal_BR = | legal_BR_comment = | legal_CA = | legal_CA_comment = | legal_DE = | legal_DE_comment = | legal_NZ = | legal_NZ_comment = | legal_UK = | legal_UK_comment = | legal_US = Rx-only | legal_US_comment = | legal_EU = Rx-only | legal_EU_comment = | legal_UN = | legal_UN_comment = | legal_status = | bioavailability = | protein_bound = | metabolism = | metabolites = | onset = | elimination_half-life = | duration_of_action = | excretion = | CAS_number_Ref =   | CAS_number = 171500-79-1 | PubChem = 16134627 | IUPHAR_ligand = | DrugBank_Ref =   | DrugBank = DB06219 | ChemSpiderID_Ref =   | ChemSpiderID = 23340937 | UNII_Ref =   | UNII = 808UI9MS5K | KEGG_Ref = | KEGG = D03640 | ChEBI_Ref =   | ChEBI = 82721 | ChEMBL_Ref =   | ChEMBL = 3301669 | NIAID_ChemDB = | PDB_ligand = | synonyms = | IUPAC_name = 2-deoxy-1-O-[(3S,15R,18R,34R,35S,38S,48R,50aR)-5,31-dichloro-38-{[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbamoyl}-6,11,34,40,44-pentahydroxy-42-(α-D-mannopyranosyloxy)-15-(methylamino)-2,16,36,50,51,59-hexaoxo-2,3,16,17,18,19,35,36,37,38,48,49,50,50a-tetradecahydro-1H,15H,34H-20,23:30,33-dietheno-3,18:35,48-bis(iminomethano) 4,8:10,14:25,28:43,47-tetrametheno[1,14,6,22]dioxadiazacyclooctacosino[4,5-m][10,2,16]benzoxadiazacyclohexacosin-56-yl]-2-[(10-methylundecanoyl)amino]-β-D-glucopyranuronic acid | C=88 | H=100 | Cl=2 | N=10 | O=28 | smiles = CC(C)CCCCCCCCC(=O)N[C@@H]1[C@H]([C@@H] O)O | StdInChI_Ref =   | StdInChI = 1S/C88H100Cl2N10O28/c1-38(2)13-10-8-6-7-9-11-14-61(106)94-70-73(109)75(111)78(86 121)128-87(70)127-77-58-31-43-32-59(77)124-55-23-19-42(29-50 89)71(107)69-85(119)98-67(80 92-25-12-26-100 5)48-33-44(102)34-57(125-88-76 74 72 60 126-88)62(48)47-28-40(17-22-52 103)65(82 99-69)95-83(117)66(43)96-84(118)68-49-35-46(36-54 63 90)123-56-24-18-41(30-53 104)64(91-3)81(115)93-51(79 97-68)27-39-15-20-45(122-58)21-16-39/h15-24,28-36,38,51,60,64-76,78,87-88,91,101-105,107-112H,6-14,25-27,37H2,1-5H3,(H,92,114)(H,93,115)(H,94,106)(H,95,117)(H,96,118)(H,97,113)(H,98,119)(H,99,116)(H,120,121)/t51-,60-,64-,65-,66-,67+,68+,69+,70-,71-,72-,73-,74+,75+,76+,78+,87-,88+/m1/s1 | StdInChIKey_Ref =   | StdInChIKey = IZJRUXNZMRDQJI-SZUNQUCBSA-N }}

Telavancin

Telavancin is a bactericidal lipoglycopeptide for use in MRSA or other Gram-positive infections. Telavancin is a semi-synthetic derivative of vancomycin.

Iclaprim

Iclaprim is an antibiotic drug candidate that is active against Gram positive organisms. It is administered intravenously.

Tedizolid Oxazolidinone-class antibiotic

Tedizolid, is an oxazolidinone-class antibiotic. Tedizolid phosphate is a phosphate ester prodrug of the active compound tedizolid. It was developed by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, following acquisition of Trius Therapeutics, and is marketed for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Ceftaroline fosamil

Ceftaroline fosamil (INN), brand name Teflaro in the US and Zinforo in Europe, is a cephalosporin antibiotic with anti-MRSA activity. Ceftaroline fosamil is a prodrug of ceftaroline. It is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other Gram-positive bacteria. It retains some activity of later-generation cephalosporins having broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative bacteria, but its effectiveness is relatively much weaker. It is currently being investigated for community-acquired pneumonia and complicated skin and skin structure infection.

Lipoglycopeptide

Lipoglycopeptides are a class of antibiotic that have lipophilic side-chains linked to glycopeptides. The class includes oritavancin, telavancin and dalbavancin.

Anthracimycin

Anthracimycin is a polyketide antibiotic discovered in 2013. Anthracimycin is derived from marine actinobacteria. In preliminary laboratory research, it has shown activity against Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax, and against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Nemonoxacin Chemical compound

Nemonoxacin is a non-fluorinated quinolone antibiotic undergoing clinical trials. It has the same mechanism of action as fluouroquinolones; it inhibits DNA gyrase, preventing DNA synthesis, gene duplication, and cell division. At the end of 2016, it had reached market in Taiwan, Russia, the Commonwealth Independent States, Turkey, mainland China, and Latin America under the brand name Taigexyn. Nemonoxacin has completed phase 2 trials in the US and has moved on to phase 3 trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted nemonoxacin qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) and fast track designations for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CAP) and acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSI).

Omadacycline

Omadacycline, sold under the brand name Nuzyra, is a broad spectrum antibiotic medication belonging to the aminomethylcycline subclass of tetracycline antibiotics. In the United States, it was approved in October 2018, for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and acute skin and skin structure infections.

Antimicrobial spectrum

The antimicrobial spectrum of an antibiotic means the range of microorganisms it can kill or inhibit. Antibiotics can be divided into broad-spectrum antibiotics, extended-spectrum antibiotics and narrow-spectrum antibiotics based on their spectrum of activity. Detailedly, broad-spectrum antibiotics can kill or inhibit a wide range of microorganisms; extended-spectrum antibiotic can kill or inhibit Gram positive bacteria and some Gram negative bacteria; narrow-spectrum antibiotic can only kill or inhibit limited species of bacteria.

References

  1. IPO News Archives
  2. The Medicines Company Completes Acquisition of Targanta Therapeutics Corporation, February 26, 2009
  3. Targanta Revives Oritavancin: Next Weapon Against cSSSI? BioWorld Today, November 26, 2007
  4. ICAAC 2007 Posters: E-1612 “In Vitro Activity Profile of Oritavancin against a Broad Spectrum of Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacterial Pathogens”/E -1613 “In Vitro Activity Profile of Oritavancin (ORI) Against Organisms Demonstrating Key Resistance Profiles to Other Antimicrobial Agents”/E-1614 “In vitro Time Kill Studies of Oritavancin against Drug-resistant Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci”/E-1615 “Anti-Enterococcal Activity Profile of Oritavancin, a Potent Lipoglycopeptide under Development for Use Against Gram-Positive Infections”/E-1616 “Anti-Streptococcal Activity Profile of Oritavancin, a Potent Lipoglycopeptide under Development for Use Against Gram-Positive Infections”/E-1617 “In Vitro Activity Profile of Oritavancin (ORI) Against Resistant Staphylococcal Populations From a Recent Surveillance Initiative”/E-1620 “Pharmacokinetic Concentrations of Oritavancin Kill Stationary-Phase and Biofilm Staphylococcus aureusIn Vitro.” / Targanta Press Release September 19, 2007 Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ICAAC 2003 Late-breaker poster: "Phase III Trial Comparing 3-7 days of Oritavancin vs. 10-14 days of Vancomycin/Cephalexin in the Treatment of Patients with Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections (cSSSI)" / InterMune Press Release September 15, 2003 Archived July 14, 2012, at Archive.today
  6. ICAAC 2007 Poster “In Vivo Efficacy of a New Osteotropic Prodrug in a Rabbit Model of Chronic Osteomyelitis” / Targanta Press Release, September 19, 2007 Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine