Achaogen Awarded $24.7M Biodefense Contract by DTRA.

Four-Year Contract Funds Preclinical Development of Therapies to Combat Anthrax, Plague

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Fifth graph, phone number in last sentence should read 650-266-1131 (sted 650-266-1163). In the contact information, the phone number for John Hollway should read 650-266-1131 (sted 650-266-1163).

The corrected release reads:

ACHAOGEN AWARDED $24.7M BIODEFENSE CONTRACT BY DTRA 

Four-Year Contract Funds Preclinical Development of Therapies to Combat Anthrax, Plague

Achaogen, Inc., a developer of novel antibacterial compounds, has executed a four-year contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense, worth up to $24.7 million dollars for the development of therapies to treat anthrax and other biothreat agents.

Under the terms of the agreement, the first year of which is fully funded, DTRA will fund the discovery of "achaogens," novel broad-spectrum small molecule therapeutics that inhibit proprietary bacterial targets, to treat resistant strains of biothreat agents such as B. anthracis (anthrax) or Y. pestis (plague), making the bacteria susceptible to existing fluoroquinolones and potentially to other classes of antibacterial drugs. Achaogen will then pursue subsequent preclinical development activities culminating in an IND filing with the FDA.

"We are excited and proud that DTRA has partnered with Achaogen," said J. Kevin Judice, Achaogen's CSO. "We will build upon our successful proof of concept with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in which we showed that "achaogens" can sensitize resistant strains of anthrax, making them susceptible to existing fluoroquinolones, while inhibiting the emergence of new types of resistance."

"The DTRA contract provides funding for our preclinical development efforts into the biodefense arena, while preserving and enhancing our opportunity in the civilian market for the treatment of resistant bacteria," said John Hollway, Achaogen's Vice President of Business Development. "Developing therapies in parallel for both biodefense and hospital-acquired resistant infections will move both programs forward more efficiently and cost-effectively."

ABOUT ACHAOGEN, INC.:

Achaogen (a-KAY-oh-jen) specializes in the discovery and development of small molecules to treat infections caused by bacteria, and by antibiotic-resistant strains in particular. Achaogen focuses on high value bacterial targets that are validated, but not yet addressed by safe and effective drugs. Achaogen's programs include its SOS-pathway program, focused on the inhibition of bacterial resistance in combination with fluoroquinolones and other drug classes; its aminoglycoside program, focused on the development of compounds that address aminoglycoside-resistant Gram-negative pathogens; and an internal program focused on hospital-acquired Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. For more information about Achaogen please contact John Hollway, Vice President, Business Development at 650-266-1131 or [e-mail], or visit www.achaogen.com.