LegoChem Bioscience said Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with Geom Therapeutics to transfer LCB18-0055, a beta-lactamase inhibitor developed by the company and used in Gram-negative super antibiotic and combination treatment.

Under the agreement, Geom Therapeutics, which is a joint venture with LegoChem Biosciences _{레고켐바이오}, will lead the development and commercialization of the combination treatment between LCB10-0200, a formerly transferred technology, and LCB18-0055.

LegoChem also reserved the right to receive a $100-million milestone apart from the profit sharing in the event of a transfer of LCB18-0055 to a third party.

Gram-negative bacteria can contain a Beta-lactam decomposition enzyme that can trigger an immunological mechanism of neutralizing the pharmacological effect by producing beta-lactamase, which degrades the beta-lactam structure even after administering beta-lactam antibiotics. Recently, global pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs by using antibiotics and beta-lactamase inhibitors in combination to overcome this resistance.

The number of Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria infected patients is similar, but in the case of Gram-negative bacteria there are only two approved licensed combination therapy AstraZeneca’ s Avycaz and Merck’s Zerbaxa.

“The greatest advantage of LCB10-0200 is its excellent efficacy against super bacteria Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, which currently lacks the treatment,” said Cho Young-rak _조영락, head of clinical trials for LegoChem Bioscience. “If the product is used as a combination treatment with LCB18-0055 it can become an antibiotic that is superior in treating a variety of super bacteria.”

Geom Therapeutics also showed enthusiasm for the technology transfer agreement.

“LCB10-0200 proved its efficacy against Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, which alone account for a substantial proportion of the Gram-negative bacteria market,” said Dirk Thye, executive chairman of Geom Therapeutics. “We will increase the efficacy of this drug and LCB18-0055 as a concomitant treatment and diversify treatable bacteria.”

Geom Therapeutics also recently announced a clinical trial agreement (CTA) with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is a part of National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct phase 1 clinical trials for LCB10-0200.

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