Centauri Therapeutics Extends Series A to £30M With £6M Investment From AMR Action Fund to Support Progression of Lead Clinical Candidate

• Clinical candidate in ABX-01 programme, CTX-187, currently in development ahead of first in-human clinical trials to target Gram-negative bacterial infections
• Investment from the world’s largest venture capital fund focused exclusively on antimicrobial therapeutics and diagnostics extends Series A round to £30M
• Dr. Henni-Karoliina Ropponen, Venture Associate at AMR Action Fund, appointed to Centauri’s Board of Directors

ALDERLEY PARK, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Centauri Therapeutics Limited (‘Centauri’ or ‘the Company’), an immunotherapy company with a unique and proprietary platform technology applicable across a wide range of therapeutic indications, today announced it has secured £6M from AMR Action Fund, extending the Company’s Series A round to £30M. The investment will support the completion of Phase I clinical studies for CTX-187, Centauri’s lead clinical candidate in the ABX-01 programme, and will expand the scope of additional research activities in preparation for Phase II.

The funding from AMR Action Fund, the world’s largest venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to investing in urgently needed antimicrobial therapeutics and diagnostics, will support Centauri to advance its lead candidate through a Phase I clinical trial, obtaining key safety data necessary to inform ongoing development. The funds will also enable the Company to carry out further work in preparation for Phase II studies. In addition, Dr. Henni-Karoliina Ropponen, Venture Associate at AMR Action Fund has been appointed to Centauri’s Board of Directors.

CTX-187, currently in development ahead of progressing to first in-human clinical trials, was selected as Centauri’s first clinical candidate in 2025¹. Built on the Company’s proprietary Alphamer^® platform, the compound is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial designed to treat clinically prevalent and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, expanding therapeutic options for vulnerable patients. It features a dual mechanism-of-action that combines immunotherapeutic effects through complement activation and opsonophagocytosis with intrinsic antibacterial activity.

Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Chief Executive Officer, Centauri Therapeutics, said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome the AMR Action Fund as a new investor. Their dedication to advancing the field of antimicrobials further reinforces our belief in the Alphamer platform as a transformative immunotherapeutic approach for addressing infections. This latest investment has enabled us a clear path to progress CTX-187 beyond Phase I trials and onto the development of a Phase II-ready asset. I would like to thank the AMR Action Fund, as well as all of our existing investors and collaborators, for their support.”

Dr. Henry Skinner, Chief Executive Officer, AMR Action Fund, commented: “The growing burden of drug-resistant Gram-negative infections is one of the most pressing challenges in global health, leaving patients with limited and increasingly ineffective treatment options. Centauri’s approach represents a promising opportunity to address this challenge, and we are pleased to support the team as they advance toward first-in-human studies.”

Centauri closed a £24M Series A round in January 2022, with investment from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Evotec SE, and Novo Holdings REPAIR Impact Fund. The Company has also been supported by CARB-X² (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) to undertake research and development studies since 2019, advancing the ABX-01 programme from Lead Optimization to the Preclinical phase. In 2024, Centauri was selected to receive a grant under the first round of PACE-AMR funding.

1. Press Release (4^th March, 2025): Centauri Therapeutics selects first clinical candidate, for immunotherapeutic treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections
2. CARB-X’s funding for this project is provided in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under agreement number: 75A50122C00028, and by awards from Wellcome (WT224842), Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of CARB-X or any of its funders.

Contacts

Media
Katie Odgaard
katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com