Glox Therapeutics has raised £4.3M ($5.2M) in seed funding to develop targeted therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
The company will use the funding to establish laboratories in Oxford and Glasgow and expand its team to accelerate its bacteriocin development programme.
Glox Therapeutics is developing precision antibiotics using engineered protein bacteriocins. These novel antimicrobials effectively and selectively target Gram-negative pathogens that have already developed AMR, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bacteriocins, which are naturally produced by bacteria, possess antimicrobial properties against strains of the same or related species.
Uzma Khan, Vice Principal Economic Development and Innovation, University of Glasgow, said: “Bacteriocins offer the precision needed to target pathogens resistant to current treatments. Our novel platform, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, circumvents problems traditionally associated with using bacteriocins as therapeutics. We look forward to seeing the company carry this forward to help deliver Gram-negative antimicrobial drugs.”
The company was founded in February 2023 by Professor Daniel Walker from the University of Glasgow (now at the University of Strathclyde) and Professor Colin Kleanthous, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), from the University of Oxford.
Kerry Sharp, Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment, Scottish Enterprise, said: “Glox Therapeutics is a fantastic example of an ambitious spin-out that’s commercialising world-class life sciences research with the potential to save lives worldwide. The calibre of Scottish early-stage companies, like Glox Therapeutics, continues to attract international investment, enabling our youngest companies to positively contribute to Scotland’s economy as they scale up.”
