Oral FtsZ inhibitors to treat C. difficile infections
Official title: Lead identification of oral FtsZ inhibitors for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections(CDI)
Funded at Taxis Pharmaceuticals, INC. · NIH-11312298 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small business research project tests a new oral drug class designed to treat C. difficile infections by targeting a key bacterial protein, with studies focused on gut-localized action in early development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Taxis Pharmaceuticals, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Monmouth Junction, United States) |
| Project start | August 12, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $294,729 |
| NIH project number | 1R43AI197297-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312298 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for Clostridioides difficile infection eligible for early-stage drug development studies.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage research may not yet benefit patients until later-stage trials are conducted.
What this research studies
This SBIR Phase I project from a small company aims to identify the most promising benzamide sub-series that inhibit the bacterial protein FtsZ to treat CDI. The work emphasizes gut-targeted properties, including low toxicity to human colon cells and limited impact on the gut microbiome, and it will assess solubility, stability in gut conditions, and gut exposure in preclinical models. The team will compare sub-series for their ability to clear infection and protect mice from CDI while considering safety and pharmacokinetic profiles. If successful, this approach could lead to a novel, orally administered CDI therapy with reduced recurrence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with CDI could have a new oral treatment option with potentially lower recurrence and better gut-targeted activity.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work shows potent in vitro activity against toxigenic C. difficile strains and favorable gut-targeted properties in this class, but human efficacy remains to be demonstrated.
Where this research is happening
-
Taxis Pharmaceuticals, INC.
Monmouth Junction, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parhi, Ajit K — Taxis Pharmaceuticals, INC.
- Study coordinator: Parhi, Ajit K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.