What Aridis Pharmaceuticals does

Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a late-stage clinical development biopharmaceutical company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, focused on developing novel anti-infective therapies for life-threatening bacterial and viral respiratory infections. Its wholly-owned pipeline is built around two proprietary technology platforms: MabIgX®, which mines antibody-producing B-cells from convalescent patients to rapidly identify rare, potent fully human monoclonal antibodies without genetic engineering, and the ⅄PEX™ technology suite, which combines silicon-wafer nanoarrays for single-cell screening, the BREATHE™ CHO cell line, and CRISPR-based gene editing to enable large-scale mAb manufacturing. Lead clinical assets include AR-301 (tosatoxumab/Salvecin™, a Phase 3-stage fully human IgG1 mAb targeting S. aureus alpha-toxin in ventilator-associated pneumonia), AR-320 (suvratoxumab, a half-life-extended mAb for VAP prevention), AR-501 (Panaecin™, an inhaled gallium citrate small-molecule anti-infective in Phase 2a for cystic fibrosis), and earlier-stage programs AR-701 (COVID-19 mAb cocktail), AR-401 (Acinetobacter baumannii), and out-licensed Pseudomonas programs AR-105/Aerucin™ and AR-101/Aerumab™.

The company's products target bacterial virulence factors rather than killing bacteria directly, conferring activity independent of antibiotic resistance profiles and providing extended half-lives versus conventional antibiotics. Aridis pursues FDA Fast Track, QIDP, LPAD, and Orphan Drug designations across its portfolio and operates an enterprise field sales go-to-market model that, post-approval, will engage hospital pharmacy committees, infectious disease specialists, and critical care physicians in ICU settings. Geographic reach today is the United States, with planned expansion into Greater China via a 2018 joint venture with Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group, and into low- and middle-income countries via a 2022 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant. Aridis is pre-revenue, currently trading on the OTC Expert Market following a NASDAQ delisting, and funds operations through a mix of dilutive equity raises and significant non-dilutive grants from NIH, BARDA, the Department of Defense, USAID, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Gates Foundation.

Name

Aridis Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Website

https://aridispharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aridis Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary monoclonal antibody and inhaled anti-infective therapies for critically ill ICU patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia and for cystic fibrosis patients with chronic lung infections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-infective Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Antimicrobials Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infectious Disease Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Non-vaccine) (HLAIACAM), Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC), Immunoglobulins & Passive Immunization Biologics (IVIG, hyperimmune globulins, antitoxins) (HLAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Anti-infective monoclonal antibodies
• Antibiotic resistance therapeutics
• Ventilator-associated pneumonia treatment
• Cystic fibrosis inhaled therapy
• Human antibody discovery platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Gatos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Revenue: Pre-revenue clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing anti-infective therapeutics. Revenue will be generated from product sales upon regulatory approval of monoclonal antibodies and small molecule anti-infectives for hospital-acquired infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and cystic fibrosis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aridis Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of fully human monoclonal antibodies and novel small-molecule anti-infectives targeted at life-threatening bacterial and viral respiratory infections, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP/HAP), chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis, and COVID-19. Its wholly-owned clinical assets — AR-301 (tosatoxumab), AR-320 (suvratoxumab), AR-501 (Panaecin, inhaled gallium citrate), AR-701, and the pre-clinical AR-401 — are designed as adjunctive therapies to standard-of-care antibiotics using pathogen-virulence-factor mechanisms independent of antibiotic resistance. The pipeline is generated and manufactured using Aridis' two proprietary antibody technology platforms, MabIgX® and ⅄PEX™.

Product overview

Aridis Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage clinical development company with a portfolio of transformative, first-in-class anti-infectives for life-threatening viral and bacterial respiratory infections. The company operates two proprietary technology platforms: MabIgX® (for rapid discovery of rare, potent human monoclonal antibodies from infection survivors) and ⅄PEXTM (for miniaturized screening and enhanced mAb manufacturing). The wholly-owned clinical pipeline includes: AR-301 (Phase 3, tosatoxumab for S. aureus VAP treatment), AR-320 (Phase 2, suvratoxumab for S. aureus VAP prevention), AR-501 (Phase 2a, Panaecin™ inhaled gallium for cystic fibrosis), and AR-701 (preclinical COVID-19 mAb cocktail). Partnered/out-licensed products include AR-105 (Aerucin™, Phase 2, P. aeruginosa), AR-101 (Aerumab™, Phase 2a, P. aeruginosa), and AR-201 (preclinical, RSV). Preclinical candidates include AR-401 (Acinetobacter baumannii).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salvecin: Brand name for AR-301 (tosatoxumab), a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting S. aureus alpha-toxin for treatment of ventilator associated pneumonia
• Aerucin
• Panaecin
• Aerumab

Products and services

• AR-301 (Tosatoxumab / Salvecin™) Fully human monoclonal IgG1 antibody (mAb) that specifically targets S. aureus alpha-toxin, a toxic protein secreted by both MRSA and MSSA strains, protecting against alpha-toxin-dependent destruction of host cells while preserving human immune cells. It is being developed as adjunctive therapy to standard-of-care antibiotics for treatment of S. aureus ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
• AR-320 (Suvratoxumab) Half-life extended fully human monoclonal IgG1 antibody targeting S. aureus alpha-toxin for prevention of VAP in mechanically ventilated, S. aureus colonized ICU patients. Sustains effective toxin-neutralizing activity for approximately three months post-dose and above baseline at one-year post-dose, and is active against both MRSA and MSSA.
• AR-501 (Panaecin™) Novel small-molecule anti-infective that is an inhalable form of gallium citrate acting as an iron analog to starve bacteria of iron and inhibit multiple iron-dependent synthetic and metabolic pathways required for pathogenicity. It offers broad anti-bacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, and is designed for once-weekly self-administration by cystic fibrosis patients.
• AR-701 (COVID-19 mAb cocktail) Human monoclonal antibody cocktail directed at conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 envelope proteins, engineered for prolonged protection. Identified from COVID-19 convalescent patient blood using Aridis' ⅄PEX™ platform and designed to maintain broad coverage of SARS-CoV-2 variants including D614G and future variants.
• AR-401 Pre-clinical mAb discovery program targeting the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, which causes pneumonia, bacteremia, wound infections, UTIs, and meningitis in ICU patients (43% mortality in ventilated patients). Eight novel putative anti-A. baumannii drug targets were identified and leading mAb candidates selected from screening infected patients.
• AR-105 (Aerucin®) Broadly active fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting P. aeruginosa alginate, with broad recognition across diverse P. aeruginosa clinical isolates because of the ubiquitous nature of the alginate surface polysaccharide. Being developed as a first-line adjunctive therapy to standard-of-care antibiotics; granted FDA Fast Track designation.
• AR-101 (Aerumab™) Highly specific monoclonal antibody targeted against P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide serotype O11 (accounting for ~22% of all P. aeruginosa hospital-acquired infections), which facilitates complement binding and improves immune recognition and phagocytic destruction. Granted FDA and EMA Orphan Drug designation; Phase 2a completed in HAP and VAP patients showing safety and efficacy trends.
• AR-201 Fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the F-protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), isolated from the antibody-producing B-cells of an infant infected with RSV. It broadly neutralizes RSV clinical isolates including strains resistant to standard-of-care mAb Synagis, and is engineered for long plasma half-life sufficient to last through an RSV infection season in a single dose (preclinical stage).

Quantifiable outcome

• AR-301 showed 11.3% improvement in clinical cure rate at day 21 in mFAS population (p=0.23), and 33.6% improvement at day 21 (p=0.056) and 37.9% at day 28 (p=0.025) in patients over 65 years
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Aridis created a joint venture with Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Group, one of China's leading pharmaceutical companies, to develop and gain regulatory approval for Aridis' fully human monoclonal antibody therapies for the greater China market.
• Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaboration with Mapp Biopharmaceutical on SBIR grant to apply advanced molecular engineering techniques to improve durability and functionality of AR-201 mAb for RSV, and to develop next generation AR-101 with improved immune potentiating function.
• Harvard UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Longstanding collaboration with Harvard University supporting Aerucin development, including research and preclinical studies.
• Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2014Dr. Nikolaus F. Rentschler, CEO of Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH, a leading contract manufacturing organization for biopharmaceuticals, participated in Aridis' private placement financing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca's Microbial Sciences franchise developed anti-bacterial mAbs MEDI4893 (anti-Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin) and MEDI3902 (anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa), directly comparable to Aridis' AR-301/AR-320 and AR-105. Aridis' current CMO previously led this franchise at AstraZeneca, underscoring the technological and competitive overlap.
• Paratek Pharmaceuticals: Paratek developed and commercialized innovative antibiotics (Nuzyra/omadacycline) targeting resistant infections in community and hospital settings. Its experience launching hospital antibiotics, including the challenges of formulary access and stewardship, makes it a relevant comparable for Aridis' go-to-market planning.
• Tetraphase Biosciences: Tetraphase developed Xerava (eravacycline), a hospital antibiotic for complicated intra-abdominal infections and was acquired by La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company. Its trajectory as a small anti-infective biotech with narrow hospital focus is a useful commercial comparable to Aridis.

Direct peers

• Arsanis: Arsanis was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibodies for serious infectious diseases, including a S. aureus program targeting the same alpha-toxin mechanism as Aridis' AR-301. Its narrow focus on hospital anti-infective mAbs and similar pipeline composition make it a direct peer.
• Cidara Therapeutics: Cidara Therapeutics develops anti-infectives for serious infections, including cloudbreak antiviral conjugates and rezafungin for candidemia. Its focus on hospital-administered anti-infectives for resistant pathogens is directly comparable to Aridis' positioning around ICU pneumonia and cystic fibrosis infections.
• Nabriva Therapeutics: Nabriva developed and commercialized Xenleta (lefamulin), a first-in-class pleuromutilin antibiotic for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Its focus on pneumonia and respiratory infections and small-cap commercialization profile is closely comparable to Aridis' AR-301 program.
• Melinta Therapeutics: Melinta commercialized hospital antibiotics including Baxdela (delafloxacin) and Orbactiv (oritavancin) targeting resistant Gram-positive infections. Its hospital anti-infective commercial model, payer dynamics, and recent restructuring history offer a direct structural peer to Aridis' go-to-market assumptions.
• Visterra: Visterra developed monoclonal antibodies targeting infectious diseases, including programs for influenza and other serious infections, and was acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Its mAb-based infectious disease focus, technology platform approach, and exit via strategic acquisition are directly comparable to Aridis.

Emerging players

• XBiotech: XBiotech develops True Human monoclonal antibodies for infectious disease, inflammation, and oncology, with programs in Staph aureus infections. Its use of naturally occurring human antibodies and infectious disease pipeline gives it partial overlap with Aridis' MabIgX/⅄PEX platform and anti-infective focus.

Regional players

• T2 Biosystems: T2 Biosystems develops diagnostic products for sepsis and other infections caused by resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens. While primarily a diagnostics company rather than therapeutics, it addresses the same AMR and hospital infection market as Aridis and is similarly small-cap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Aridis_Pharma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aridis-pharmaceuticals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aridis Pharmaceuticals