Savara Receives CFFT Grant

Savara Pharmaceuticals has received a $1.7 million research award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFT), the nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the CF Foundation. The award will advance the development of AeroVanc, the first inhaled antibiotic being developed to treat the increasing number of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lung infection.

Savara has received $6 million in support from the CF Foundation and the National Institutes of Health to advance the AeroVanc program. The company is now enrolling patients for its Phase II trial of AeroVanc. It is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 80 CF patients with persistent MRSA lung infection, and is being conducted at 26 CF centers nationwide. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of AeroVanc in reducing the quantity of MRSA colony forming units in sputum cultures. The secondary objectives include evaluation of the safety of repeat dosing with AeroVanc and the efficacy of AeroVanc in improving lung function, reducing respiratory symptoms, and prolonging the time to pulmonary exacerbations and the need for other antibiotics.