Spero Therapeutics Sports Some Heavy-Hitters -- As Major Shareholders: IPO Follow-Up

Obviously, Merck's research arm has invested through a fund because the burgeoning pipeline of Spero dovetails with its much earlier acquisition of Cubicin, and the Gram negative antibacterial products previously developed by the former Cubist Pharmaceuticals.

It is also true that Cubicin is under pressure due to generic manufacturers seizing on prior patent maneuvers, to bring a copycat to market.

So this "informational" 5 per centers' pipeline is likely a toe-hold to picking up additional anti-infectives, for Kenilworth -- and keeps it even with GSK and Google's Alphabet in the "pipeline info" wars. Do go see the whole run-down here -- but you'll need to read the footnotes, to that table on page 162, to figure out that the holders listed there are actually investment vehicles/funds controlled by Glaxo, Merck and Google's Alphabet, respectively.

Quite an array of the "Masters of the (Anti-Bacterials) Universe", that. I'll close by listing just a bit of what the able team at Spero is chasing:

. . . .We are a multi-asset, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing novel treatments for multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Our most advanced product candidate, SPR994, is designed to be the first broad-spectrum oral carbapenem-class antibiotic for use in adults to treat multi-drug resistant, or MDR, Gram-negative infections. Treatment with effective orally administrable antibiotics may prevent hospitalizations for serious infections and enable earlier, more convenient and cost-effective treatment of patients after hospitalization.

We also have a platform technology known as our Potentiator Platform that we believe will enable us to develop drugs that will expand the spectrum and potency of existing antibiotics, including formerly inactive antibiotics, against Gram-negative bacteria. Our lead product candidates generated from our Potentiator Platform are two intravenous, or IV,-administered agents, SPR741 and SPR206, designed to treat MDR Gram-negative infections in the hospital setting. In addition, we are developing SPR720, an oral antibiotic designed for the treatment of pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections. We believe that our novel product candidates, if successfully developed and approved, would have a meaningful patient impact and significant commercial applications for the treatment of MDR infections in both the community and hospital settings. . . .

The IPO priced on November 1, and Merck filed an SEC Form 13G last night. Now you know -- for my part, I grow excited to have my goofy, vibrant, successful adult children home for the holidays, starting this weekend. Smile -- ever Macy Gray "I Try". . . onward.

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