$81M Injection Fuels Elion's Quest for Antifungal Therapy Advancement

Elion Therapeutics, a biotech company headquartered in New York, has secured $81 million through a Series B funding round for its early-phase polyene antifungal treatment, SF001. This therapy is currently under investigation as an early treatment for presumed invasive fungal disease and invasive aspergillosis. In the previous year, SF001 received fast track designation and qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) status from the FDA. Initial evaluations involved a first-in-human study examining single doses, and the treatment has since progressed to a multiple-dose study.

Deerfield Management and the AMR Action Fund spearheaded the funding round, accompanied by investors like Illinois Ventures.

Presently, there exist four categories of antifungal medications, yet they pose challenges such as resistance, organ toxicity, and interactions with other drugs. Invasive fungal infections primarily impact individuals with weakened immune systems, including those with conditions like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and recipients of organ transplants.

Elion's candidate is a modification of amphotericin, a drug long used for treating fungal infections since the 1950s. Elion's goal is to reduce kidney damage, a frequent side effect of amphotericin, by enhancing its targeting specifically to fungal cells.

At the 34th European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global conference, formerly ECCMID, held in Barcelona, Spain, in May 2024, discussions on drug resistance in fungi were prominent. A study presented at the conference examined the prevalence of resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in Denmark, revealing an increase in the presence of this microorganism in both Danish soil and air from 2020 to 2022.

According to Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund, the World Health Organization has identified four fungal pathogens as 'critical priorities,' one of which is Aspergillus fumigatus. Elion's chief medical officer, Kieren Marr, stated in the funding announcement that invasive fungal infections (IFI) have become increasingly concerning. This is mainly due to greater medical use of biologic immunosuppression, a higher number of people with severe pulmonary disease vulnerable to IFI, and increased exposures linked to environmental shifts.

Elion isn't the sole participant in the field of fungal disease treatment. Astellas received FDA approval for the antifungal medication Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate) in December 2023. Additionally, the drug was granted FDA orphan drug exclusivity and exclusive rights for the pediatric market in March 2024 for treating invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis.