Actelion has developed platforms of expertise in families of molecular targets which allow high productivity in the generation of innovative compounds potentially addressing a wide range of high unmet medical needs.

The development of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of new pathogenic bacterial strains mean that infections that were once treatable with antibiotics are becoming increasingly difficult or impossible to treat. This makes new antibiotics based on new chemical scaffolds and with new mechanisms of action highly sought after.

Current status
Actelion's focus on developing novel classes of potent antibiotics, highly active against problematic and multi-resistant pathogens, with a low propensity for resistance development, has resulted in our first antibiotic entering clinical studies.

Following encouraging results in Phase I studies, a Phase II program will commence later this year.

Milestones
2009 - Actelion's first antibiotic enters man

Key scientific literature
Spellberg B.et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases 46(2), 155-164; 2008.

Talbot G.H. Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther. 6(1), 39-49; 2008.

Keck W., Hubschwerlen C. Pathogenic bacteria: How to get them back into the line of fire? Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs 6(2), 139-40; 2005.