Entomed to start trials of insect drug next year

11 December 2001

Entomed of France has said it plans to start clinical trials next yearof ETD 151, a new insect-derived agent for the treatment of fungal infections such as those caused by Fusarium and Scedosporium species. The firm was set up in 1999 to study the immune systems of insects in order to find new drugs for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi.

Entomed was originally funded through Oxford Bioscience, Atlas Venture and CDC Innovation Partners, together with Rhone-Poulenc (now Aventis) and has since added Apax, Sofinov and Auriga Ventures to its partners. Work has to date concentrated on ETD 151, which is a molecule derived from a common species of butterfly, Heliothis virescens, and which has been in animal studies for the last 12 months.

Entomed president Mario Thomas has said that the company is seeking orphan drug status for ETD 151 and, if this is obtained, it would provide both market support and encourage research against the target infections, which are rare but which kill an estimated 15,000 people annually in Europe alone. The company will also seek a new increase in its capital fairly soon to fund the clinical program for ETD 151, he said, adding that work is to be accelerated into anti-inflammatories and treatments for cancer.

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