GARDP and Bugworks expand strategic partnership to accelerate development of an oral formulation of BWC0977 to treat serious bacterial infections

21 July 2025 GARDP and Bugworks expand strategic partnership to accelerate development of an oral formulation of BWC0977 to treat serious bacterial infections Geneva and Bangalore. The Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) and Bugworks Research Inc. (Bugworks) are pleased to announce the expansion of their strategic partnership to accelerate the development of BWC0977, a groundbreaking, broad- spectrum antibiotic with both intravenous (IV) and oral formulations. BWC0977 stands out as a once-in-a-generation therapy, uniquely designed to treat serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, including high-priority pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa - organisms increasingly linked to challenging hospital-acquired infections like pneumonia, bloodstream, and urinary tract infections. Building on their ongoing collaboration to advance BWC0977-IV for critical care and community settings, GARDP and Bugworks will now jointly develop an oral formulation of BWC0977, broadening its potential impact in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. The partnership will support comprehensive clinical trials, alongside ongoing pharmaceutical development efforts. GARDP’s financial commitment will be milestone-based, ensuring alignment with key development benchmarks and its overarching public health mission. Under the terms of the agreement, Bugworks will commercialize BWC0977 in the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Australia, China, and India, either directly or through sub-licensees. Simultaneously, GARDP will secure manufacturing and commercialization rights across 146 countries, representing the majority of low- and middle- income nations. A central focus of this expanded partnership is to guarantee equitable and expedited access to BWC0977, once approved, in high-burden regions such as India and South Africa, where the public health need for novel antibiotics is especially acute. For more information on BWC0977, please access the publication by Shahul Hameed et al. in Nature Comm: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52557-2. Research reported in this press release is supported by CARB-X. CARB-X’s funding for this project is provided in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under agreement number: 75A50122C00028, and by awards from Wellcome (WT224842) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the oWicial views of CARB-X or any of its funders. About GARDP The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) is a Swiss not-for-profit organization developing new treatments for drug-resistant infections that pose the greatest threat to health. GARDP was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in 2016 and legally founded in 2018 to ensure that everyone who needs antibiotics receives eWective and aWordable treatment. GARDP is funded by the governments of Australia, Germany, Japan, Monaco, the Netherlands, the Public Health Agency of Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Canton of Geneva, as well as the European Union, Wellcome Trust and private foundations. GARDP is registered under the legal name GARDP Foundation. www.gardp.org About Bugworks Research Inc. Bugworks Research Inc, (Bugworks), is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing novel multi-target therapeutic assets in the anti-infectives and oncology areas by integrating the latest innovations in computational biology, pharmacology, structural-biology, and medicinal chemistry. BWC0977 is currently in a Phase I clinical trial and is targeted to address unmet needs of serious hospital & community infections. Its lead asset for oncology is in the late pre-clinical stage, targets multiple cancers and is expected to be used either as standalone or in combination with immune checkpoint therapies. www.bugworksresearch.com

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