Healthcare
Cystic fibrosis and chronic lung infection
Unmet Need: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients have chronic airway infection, associated with the presence of bacterial biofilms in the lungs, often generated by Pseudomonas or Burkholderia species, and this is a major contributor to mortality. Bacterial biofilms are extremely difficult to eradicate, and the recurring infections they initiate are currently managed by frequent exposure to antibiotics. Although antibiotic treatment regimens have contributed to the great improvement in life expectancy in CF patients in recent decades, their use leads to the generation of drug resistant strains, and they are poorly effective against such established biofilms.
Products: QuoNova is currently developing QSBs for topical application to the lungs of CF sufferers, as potential maintenance monotherapy or adjunctive therapies in this distressing disorder, which represents still a great unmet medical need. QuoNova's QSBs have been shown to inhibit growth and accelerate degradation of clinically relevant bacterial biofilms in model systems, and they also improve the efficacy of antibiotics. Their use as monotherapy or together with antibiotics should avoid, or greatly reduce, the development of drug resistant strains.
Such products will also find application in other chronic lung diseases associated with infection.
Status: This development project is currently in the late lead optimization phase.
Wound healing
Unmet Need: Dermal wounds, both chronic and acute are susceptible to infection due to development of microbial communities within the wound environment. Such communities comprise complex mixtures of biofilm and planktonic bacteria, and hinder wound healing and recovery.
Products: QuoNova is currently optimization compounds for application in wound healing as therapeutics or as components of dressings.
Status: Proof of concept and preclinical optimization studies are ongoing.
Medical device-associated infections
Unmet Need: Most nosocomial infections occur at any of four major body sites, three of which (vasculature, urinary tract and respiratory tract) are commonly associated with medical device use. Such infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and are very difficult and costly to treat.
Products: QuoNova's compounds can be incorporated in relevant polymer matrices, and have been shown to be released over extended time periods at the same time inhibiting the growth of bacterial biofilm.
Status: Proof of concept has already been demonstrated and QuoNova is actively engaged in preclinical evaluation and optimization of matrix-incorporated QSBs in catheters.