AN2 receives Gates Foundation TB research funding

• AN2 Therapeutics received an extension of Gates Foundation funding to support tuberculosis research with GSK.
• The collaboration focuses on developing boron-based leucyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors for potential TB treatments.
• AN2 and GSK said the funding supports continued research into new approaches for infectious disease drug development.

AN2 Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ANTX) received an extension of funding from the Gates Foundation to support its tuberculosis research collaboration with GSK focused on boron-based leucyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitors.

The funding extension supports ongoing research activities under the collaboration, which aims to develop small molecule therapeutics targeting tuberculosis through AN2’s boron chemistry platform.

“ We are grateful for the Gates Foundation's continued support of this important collaboration with GSK to advance boron-based LeuRS inhibitors for the treatment of tuberculosis,” said Vince Hernandez, Senior Vice President of Research & Head of Chemistry at AN2 Therapeutics.

AN2 said the collaboration builds on research into leucyl-tRNA synthetase, or LeuRS, as a therapeutic target, while its boron chemistry platform has generated inhibitors targeting LeuRS and other biological targets.

AN2 Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing small molecule medicines using its boron chemistry platform for infectious diseases and other therapeutic areas.

The company said LeuRS has been validated as a drug target through compounds including epetraborole, ganfeborole, and tavaborole, with ganfeborole previously showing proof-of-concept efficacy in a Phase 2 tuberculosis study.