NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Rib-X Pharmaceuticals
Inc. has signed a research agreement with the French
drugmaker Sanofi SA to co-develop a line of experimental antibiotic therapies.

 

The agreement includes an initial payment of $10 million to
Rib-X, which is based in New Haven,
Conn., and the potential for
additional milestone payments worth up to $86 million per product. It said if a
commercial product results from the deal, Rib-X may qualify for payments of
$100 million or more depending on achieving specific milestones.

 

Sanofi will have the option to license drug products from
Rib-X’s RX-04 program, which has shown antibacterial activity against a number
of hard-to-treat bacteria types.

 

In recent decades, some varieties of germs have grown immune
to popular antibiotics like penicillin, creating concerns about the dwindling
number of new antibiotics available.

 

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to
staying ahead of the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by delivering new
standards of care for patients in need,” said Rib-X President Mark
Leuchtenberger.