Antimicrobial peptides are a natural family of peptides with therapeutic potential in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Their clinical use is currently limited mostly to topical applications, due to issues related to toxicity, stability, and efficacy.

Lytica’s proprietary stapling technology aims to overcome these hurdles. The company has produced lead compounds, called stapled antimicrobial peptides, which display potent activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, stability against enzymatic degradation, and wide therapeutic potential.

The Boston-based company is being funded to the tune of up to $16.9 million by CARB-X, a non-profit consortium fighting antimicrobial resistance.