Cidara Therapeutics Selects First Clinical Development Candidate from its Cloudbreak Influenza (Antiviral) Program

Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDTX), a biotechnology company developing novel anti-infectives including immunotherapies, today announced that the company has selected the antiviral conjugate (AVC) CB-012 as its first clinical development candidate from the company’s Cloudbreak ® influenza (antiviral) program. Data supporting the selection will be presented today in an oral session at the 29th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). CB-012 is a novel conjugate of a highly potent antiviral agent linked to a human antibody fragment. “The data clearly demonstrate the potential for CB-012 as either a long-acting preventative or fast-acting therapy with potent activity against seasonal and pandemic strains of influenza. A single molecule which links a potent antiviral drug with a long-acting immune system engager has the potential for important advantages over traditional vaccines and therapies,” said Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cidara. “We are committed to advancing our portfolio of promising development candidates, including CB-012, and are progressing IND-enabling studies this year.” Applying the principles of oncology immunotherapy, Cidara’s Cloudbreak AVCs attack influenza through a dual mechanism: The antiviral agent neutralizes the influenza virus directly, while the human antibody fragment engages a patient’s immune system to accelerate elimination of the pathogen. The approach is designed to improve on, and combine, the preventive effects of vaccination with an antiviral drug’s capability to treat flu illness. Cidara’s vision is that a single dose of an AVC could prevent influenza for an entire flu season, with or without concurrent vaccine administration, cover strains that are missed by vaccines in any given year, and be effective even in people with decreased immune function.