Infex Therapeutics secures £4.3 million funding to advance anti-infective pipeline targeting drug-resistant infections

Investment led by Jon Moulton supports progression of clinical and preclinical programmes addressing critical-priority pathogens
Infex to present results from Phase IIa trial for first-in-class anti-virulence therapy RESP-X at ATS 2026

Alderley Park, Cheshire, U.K. – 12 May 2026, Infex Therapeutics, a leading anti-infectives specialist, announces it has secured £4.3 million in funding led by prominent British venture capitalist Jon Moulton, with participation from the GM&C Life Sciences Fund (managed by Catapult Ventures) and existing high net worth investors.

The funding will support the continued advancement of Infex’s pipeline of novel anti-infectives targeting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other critical-priority infectious diseases. Specifically, the investment will enable:

• Preparation for further clinical development of RESP-X, following completion of its encouraging Phase IIa trial in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infections in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) patients;
• Expansion of the MET-X programme, a resistance bypass treatment targeting Gram-negative Enterobacterales, for drug-resistant infections, alongside the Company's clinical development partnership with Venus Remedies Ltd (“Venus”) in India, and;
• Progression of preclinical programmes, including its first-in-class BamA inhibitor being developed in collaboration with Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.
  
  

"We are delighted to secure this investment led by Jon Moulton, with support from the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Lifescience Investment Fund and our existing investors,” said Dr Peter Jackson, CEO of Infex Therapeutics. “This funding represents strong validation of our progress in developing novel anti-infectives to address the critical global threat of antimicrobial resistance. It enables us to advance RESP-X toward later stage clinical development, expand our MET-X programme, and advance our broader preclinical pipeline of first-in-class approaches targeting highly resistant Gram-negative pathogens."

Jon Moulton, Chair of Infex Therapeutics, commented: “We have supported Infex from the beginning and continue to be impressed by the Company’s scientific progress and strategic execution. Infex’s lead programme RESP-X is approaching a critical inflection point with upcoming phase IIa results, and we strongly believe it will be a life-changing future first therapy for NCFB patients with drug resistant Pa colonisation. This additional investment reflects our strong conviction in both the team and its innovative approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Nick Wright, CEO of Catapult Ventures which manages the GM&C Life Sciences Fund, said: “Infex Therapeutics has made excellent scientific progress since we first invested several years ago. The company has clearly established itself as a world leader in the AMR and related space and the data it is generating is very compelling.”    

Pipeline highlights

RESP-X
RESP-X, the Company’s lead programme, is a first-in-class anti-virulence monoclonal antibody in-licensed from Shionogi.

The programme is focused on patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) a chronic respiratory disease in which P. aeruginosa colonisation drives recurrent, potentially life-threatening exacerbations. There are currently no approved preventative treatments for these Pa-colonised patients.

Infex has completed an encouraging Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating safety, dosing and early efficacy, with data to be presented at ATS 2026 (see details below). RESP-X also has potential for expansion into additional indications, including cystic fibrosis, COPD and acute hospital infections.

MET-X
MET-X is a broad spectrum metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-inhibitor targeting Gram-negative Enterobacterales, a group of WHO critical-priority pathogens responsible for severe and often drug-resistant infections. By inhibiting MBL enzymes, MET-X restores the activity of beta-lactam antibiotics such as meropenem, offering a potential solution to one of the most challenging mechanisms of antibiotic resistance.

Under the exclusive license agreement announced in February 2025, Venus will conduct clinical development of MET-X in combination with the beta-lactam meropenem in India. Infex retains MET-X’s development and commercialisation rights outside of India.

BamA inhibitor programme
Infex is also advancing a first-in-class BamA inhibitor programme in collaboration with Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, supported by funding from PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy). BamA is a novel target essential for Gram-negative bacterial survival and previously considered undruggable. Inhibiting BamA disrupts bacterial membrane function, weakening defences and enabling clearance of infection.

Infex to present Phase IIa trial results for RESP-X at ATS 2026
The Company will present results from its Phase IIa trial for its lead candidate RESP-X in a late-breaking abstract at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2026 International Conference, taking place on 15-20 May, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. Full details of the abstract are set out below.

Date: Wednesday 20 May, 2026

Start time: 12.48 PM ET

Location: Orange County Convention Center, W224 AB/EF (Level II, OCCC West Concourse)

Session: D92 New Therapeutics, Interventions, and Monitoring in Chronic Respiratory Disease

Abstract title: Positive Phase 2a Study Results on RESP-X (INFEX702), a Highly Potent Anti-virulence Monoclonal Antibody in Development to Reduce Exacerbation Frequency in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa-colonised Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis (ncfb) Patients

Authors: Colm Thomas Leonard, MD, Juergen Dobmeyer, MD, Nicola Ooi, PhD, Victoria Savage, PhD, Kerry Nield, PhD, Derek Lindsay, PhD, Sue Schmidt, PhD, Rachael White, PhD, Richard Fitzgerald, MB PhD, Lauren Walker, MB ChB PhD

About Infex Therapeutics

Infex Therapeutics Holdings plc is a leader in critical-priority infectious diseases, with a broad and diverse pipeline of innovative best-in-class and first-in-class drug candidates to address the urgent global shortage of novel anti-infective treatments. The Company is building a differentiated pipeline through in-house drug discovery, acquisition, co-development and in-licensing of early stage/pre-clinical candidates, developing them to clinical proof of concept before licensing to commercial pharma partners.

To learn more, visit our website: https://www.infextx.com/

Contact

Infex Therapeutics
Carl Curran, Head of Business Development
E-mail: info@infextx.com

ICR Healthcare
Stephanie Cuthbert, Louis Ashe-Jepson
E-mail: infex@icrhealthcare.com

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.