Trellis Bioscience has closed a $9m Series C funding round to support the completion of its ongoing Phase II clinical trial evaluating calpurbatug (TRL1068), a monoclonal antibody candidate for chronic prosthetic joint infections (PJI).
The ongoing trial is being conducted as part of a debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) approach and is fully enrolled.
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Top line results are anticipated in the second quarter of 2027.
The financing saw continued participation from current investors New Science Ventures and Easton Capital, alongside new investment from AMR Action Fund (AMRAF), The Doctor Group of Dallas, Texas, and a group of orthopaedic surgeons specialising in PJI across the US.
It brings Trellis Bioscience’s total equity funding to nearly $35m, which has been matched by similar amounts in non-dilutive grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X).
In parallel with AMRAF’s investment, principal Junjun Gao has joined the Trellis Board of Directors.
Clinical evaluation of calpurbatug began with a Phase I trial in PJI patients under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared investigational new drug application, which provided initial safety, pharmacokinetic, and biofilm-disrupting activity data.
A serious complication of knee and hip joint replacements, PJI currently lacks approved therapeutic options, and standard treatment involves two-stage surgery, which poses significant challenges, including high failure rates, increased mortality risk.
Trellis Bioscience CEO Geoff Dillon said: “We’re excited to have the backing of AMRAF, the most prominent investor in the antimicrobial space, as we move ahead in our efforts to redefine how antibiotic-resistant infections are treated in the future.
“By disrupting bacterial biofilm, calpurbatug represents a new class of agents with potential utility in a substantial number of antibiotic-resistant infections.”
Calpurbatug received orphan drug, fast track, and qualified infectious disease product designations from the FDA.
