By Ian Walker
LONDON--AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) said Friday it plans to invest
$40 million and create a new stand-alone subsidiary company focused
on the research and development of its early-stage antibiotic
pipeline, including the gyrase inhibitor AZD0914 which is currently
in Phase II trials for the treatment of gonorrhoea.
The move will provide greater flexibility for future development
of the early stage small molecule anti-infectives pipeline, the
pharmaceutical company said.
AstraZeneca added that 95 employees at its plant in Waltham, MA,
will be affected by the changes. However, it expects some of the
researchers affected to take up roles in the new company, or in
other parts of the group.
The new company will be led by, and include staff, from
AstraZeneca's Innovative Medicines Unit, it said.
AstraZeneca added that it continues to progress its late-stage
small molecule infection programs, notably CAZ-AVI, while at the
same time exploring partnership opportunities to ensure these
potential new treatments reach patients as quickly as possible.
Write to Ian Walker at ian.walker@wsj.com; @IanWalk40289749