TXN Systems receives SEK 25 million in Series A funding

TXN Systems secures capital to advance EbsArgent™, a combined antibiotic with silver ions and ebselen, against multidrug-resistant bacteria in clinical trials

Stockholm, October 30, 2024 - Thioredoxin Systems AB (TXN Systems), a pharmaceutical company in Sweden, has announced the closing of a SEK 25 million Series A financing round. This capital will be used to further develop EbsArgent™, a promising antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The financing round includes investments from leading Lifesience entrepreneurs and investors such as Mikael Lönn, MD, and Jens Mogensen as well as GU Ventures, Vasa Angels and the government-backed venture capital firm Annexstruktur.

EbsArgent™: A breakthrough in the treatment of multi-resistant infections

The antibiotic EbsArgent™ combines silver ions with the active ingredient ebselen to act on a new bacteria-targeting system and combat resistant urinary tract infections. By inhibiting the essential thioredoxin system in bacteria and enhancing the uptake of ebselen, a novel mechanism of action is generated that has shown high efficacy against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in preclinical testing.

Increasing threat from antimicrobial resistance

The growing resistance to common antibiotics poses major challenges for global healthcare. According to a recent estimate, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could cause more than 39 million deaths worldwide by 2050. In the USA and Europe, around 35,000 people die each year from AMR-related infections. TXN Systems will use the new capital to complete preclinical studies of EbsArgent™ and initiate a Phase 1 trial.

Once easy to treat, urinary tract infections are becoming increasingly resistant to multiple antibiotics, and some standard therapies no longer work. EbsArgent™ has shown strong efficacy in extensive testing and could play a critical role in the fight against AMR

Elias Arnér, CEO of TXN Systems

EbsArgent™ uses silver ions that promote the uptake of ebselen, inhibiting bacterial thioredoxin reductase, a novel target for antimicrobial treatments. In contrast to existing antibiotics, the drug shows no cross-resistance, as the thioredoxin system is not yet addressed by commercially available antibiotics. In animal models, the drug was found to be safe and well tolerated and showed promising activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections.