Smartbax Secures €6.3M to Fight Drug-Resistant Superbugs with Novel Antibiotics

Biotech company smartbax has secured further funding to advance its antibiotic research. The firm focuses on tackling Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant strains. Its work addresses a critical gap in treating infections caused by WHO priority pathogens. In October 2025, smartbax closed a pre-Series A funding round of €4.7 million. The initial investment aimed to progress its lead programme, targeting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis in Gram-negative bacteria, through preclinical development. It also supported the company’s broader platform for early-stage antibiotic research.

By January 2026, smartbax in-licensed its lead compound class from AiCuris. The programme has since demonstrated in vivo proof of concept against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Alongside this, the company is exploring secondary strategies to activate bacterial hydrolases.

In a recent development, smartbax raised an additional €1.6 million from a Frankfurt-based family office. Dr Robert Macsics, the company’s CEO, confirmed that the extra funds will help push the lead programme through an Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. The extended funding brings smartbax’s total pre-Series A round to €6.3 million. The resources will accelerate the development of its LPS inhibitor and other antibacterial approaches. The company continues to target some of the most challenging bacterial infections in modern medicine.