Areas of Interest:

• Antibacterial agents directed at established or novel targets with demonstrated evidence of target engagement and antibacterial activity. Key required data include: in vitro antibacterial activity, resistance frequency, an understanding of the mechanism of action, efficacy in animal models of infection, and preliminary toxicology data

Areas of highest interest include:

• Broad-spectrum agents that cover problematic pathogens included on the IDSA ESKAPE list
• Broad-spectrum agents that can cover either intrinsic or acquired resistance to existing agents. Though candidates with broad G+ and G- coverage are preferred, agents that cover G+ only (must include streptococci and staphylococci including MRSA and be IV / PO) or G- only pathogens will be considered
• Agents coadministered with antibacterials to overcome resistance (eg, beta-lactamase inhibitors) or enhance spectrum of coverage (eg, synergists). Note: beta-lactamase inhibitors should have at least Class A and C coverage, but will be more highly valued if they can also provide Class B or Class D coverage
• IV-only dosing is acceptable for G-, but IV / PO is preferred for G+ agents
• Novel non-antibiotic approaches to C. difficile that address the recurrence rate and / or inhibit toxin function or sporulation

Not Interested in:

• Topical antibiotics
• Antibodies without clinical POC
• Known registered antibacterial structural types unless they are differentiated from current agents by Phase II safety, efficacy, route of administration, or activity on resistant-strain characteristics*
• Narrow-spectrum agents

*Criteria that determine meaningful clinical differentiation may vary by region of the world

Areas of Interest:

• Antifungal agents directed at established or novel targets with demonstrated evidence of target engagement. Key required data includes an understanding of the mechanism of action, efficacy in animal models of infection, and preliminary toxicology data
• Target product profiles of interest
  • Candida, Aspergillus, or rare mold antifungals (IV, preferably with oral formulation) that can be meaningfully clinically differentiated from current treatment options*
  • Oral agents for community use active against Candida that can be meaningfully clinically differentiated from current treatment options*

*Criteria that determine meaningful clinical differentiation may vary by region of the world

Not Interested in:

• Topical agents
• Incremental improvements upon inhibitors of ergosterol biosynthesis
• Known registered antifungal structural types unless they are differentiated from current agents by Phase II safety, efficacy, route of administration, or activity on resistant-strain characteristics*
• Antibodies without clinical POC

Areas of Interest:

• Preclinical:
  • Novel agents or targets with compelling data including an understanding of the mechanism of action, activity in cell culture, resistance profile, and PK with particular interest in:
    • Novel approaches to eradication (cure) including latency targets, such as HDAC inhibitors
    • HIV gene expression inhibitors
    • Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with differentiated resistance profile to existing agents, QD or less frequent dosing, >1 month tox data
    • PK enhancers without antiviral activity
    • Inhibitors of viral budding and / or maturation
• Phase I or later in development:
  • Integrase inhibitors with new MOA or novel structural scaffold with QD dosing
  • QD protease inhibitors that do not require boosting
  • Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors dosed QD with a high barrier to resistance / efficacy against NNRTI (including 2nd-generation NNRTI-resistant virus)
  • Other new mechanisms (eg, host targets that prevent production of virus or viral proteins when inhibited)
• Late-stage opportunities (Phase III-ready and later):
  • Novel or differentiated agents, ideally combinable in fixed-dose combination with existing in-line or pipeline assets that are complementary to in-house MOAs

Not Interested in:

• Therapeutic agents administered parenterally, including antibodies, with the exception of agents that have potential to eliminate latently infected cells or otherwise reduce viral persistence
• HIV entry inhibitors

Areas of Interest:

• Preclinical:
  • Novel oral agents with compelling data including broad GT coverage, high barrier to resistance, activity against RAVs and an understanding of the MOA, activity in HCV replicon, and PK in one species
• Phase I or later in development:
  • Nucleoside and non-nucleoside inhibitors of NS5B with acceptable safety
  • NS5A inhibitors with GT1-3 coverage and improved barrier to resistance and activity against key mutants
  • Protease inhibitors with activity against genotypes 1, 2, and 3, and key mutants with preclinical safety data and PK suggestive of QD dosing suitable for development as fixed-dose combinations
• Late-stage opportunities (Phase III-ready and later):
  • Highly active (>90 SVR 12) in GT1a and GT1b TN with an IFN-free regimen of 12 weeks or less; SVR4 data in hand to treat populations in 12 weeks or less (with IFN) or maximum 24 weeks (IFN-free)
  • Novel or differentiated agents, global / regional promotional partnerships
  • Cyclophillin inhibitors and other host cell factors

Not Interested in:

• Parenterally administered interferons
• TLR agonists or activators
• HCV viral entry inhibitors

Areas of Interest:

• Preclinical or later in development:
  • Novel approaches to HBV with the potential to cure / eradicate
  • Pan-respiratory or pan-herpes antiviral agents or targets
  • Broad-spectrum antivirals
• Phase IIb or later in development:
  • RSV, CMV, EBV, flu agents with pristine safety profiles
  • Hepatic encephalopathy and hepatic fibrosis
• Late-stage opportunities (Phase III-ready and later):
  • We will continue to consider external licensing and partnership opportunities for differentiated products directed at other viral infections in late-stage development
  • Global / regional promotional partnerships

Not Interested in:

• Agents administered parenterally, except for HBV cure or eradication
• Interferons, but we are interested in their MOA

Areas of Interest:

• Animal or cellular models of HIV latency
• In vitro tissue models for HCV
• Robust cell culture systems for HCV replication
• Biomarkers / noninvasive assay technology for HIV and HCV with enhanced sensitivity and / or lower cost; particularly interested in prognostics and biomarkers for HIV latently-infected T cells
• Genotyping and phenotyping technologies for HCV polymerase and HCV protease
• HCV and specific gene chimera replicons
• PK enhancers
• Technologies to evaluate liver drug concentration
• Screening or quantitative detection assays for HBV cccDNA
• Screening assays for broad-spectrum antivirals (can be host target that inhibits viral replication)

Antifungal and Antibacterial:

• Rapid (2 hours), point-of-care, pathogen-specific (eg, P. aeruginosa), and host-response diagnostic tests
• Molecular biomarkers of susceptibility