Basilea reports progress implementation of strategy to focus on anti-infectives

Shares of Swiss biotech Basilea Pharmaceutica (SIX: BSLN) gained more than 3% to 38.45 francs yesterday, after it announced an update on the progress made in the implementation of its strategic focus on anti-infectives.

David Veitch, chief executive, stated: “We have made significant progress in the implementation of our new strategy. With regard to our oncology business, we have run a broad partnering process, whilst continuing to generate clinical data from the ongoing clinical trials. This allows us now to make informed decisions on each asset in order to ensure that we can focus our resources on our anti-infectives business as of 2023. The ERADICATE Phase III study exploring ceftobiprole for the treatment of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, or SAB, is on track to report results shortly and the pre-clinical profiling of the recently in-licensed potential first-in-class antifungal has also been initiated.”

Partnering discussions for the TTK/PLK1-inhibitor (BAL0891) and pre-clinical oncology assets are well advanced and expected to be concluded in second-half 2022. In line with its strategic priorities and based on data from the ongoing open-label studies, Basilea has decided not to expand the studies for the tumor checkpoint controller lisavanbulin. Ongoing patients will be offered continued access to lisavanbulin, whilst partnering opportunities continue to be explored.