Santero Therapeutics

Santero Therapeutics SRL is a biotech company spun off from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in 2021. The company was founded by Professors Cédric Govaerts, PhD, and Abel Garcia-Pino, PhD, based on nearly two decades of their fundamental research. Dr. Garcia-Pino is a scientist focused on bacterial survival under stress and antibiotic resistance, while Dr. Govaerts is a leading scientist in antibiotic extrusion.

The company is developing a new class of antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens, a major global health threat identified by the World Health Organization. Santero's approach targets a weak point in most bacteria: their ability to resist chemical stress. Specifically, their lead compound, SAN-001, inhibits the RSH enzyme, which is vital for the bacteria's survival mechanism during an infection. This new mode of action has the potential to be effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and has shown insensitivity to existing antibiotic resistance in vitro. The company's goal is to create a technological platform to develop a range of new-generation antibiotics.

Santero Therapeutics is headquartered in Charleroi, Belgium. In June 2023, the company announced it had raised €8 million in a Series A funding round led by Newton Biocapital. Other investors include the Belgian sovereign wealth fund SFPIM, WE Life Sciences, and Sambrinvest. This funding is intended to advance the development of its first-in-class inhibitors.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic development, drug discovery, resistant pathogens, new mode of action, bacterial stress response, RSH enzyme inhibitor, Gram-negative bacteria, biotech, first-in-class therapeutics