(Alliance News) - Biopharmaceutical firm Motif Bio PLC said Monday that the US government will fund a study on the effectiveness of the iclaprim drug against listeria monocytogenes.
Shares in Motif Bio were up 13% at 2.60 pence each in London on Monday morning.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the US Department of Health & Human Services, will also be providing Motif Bio with preclinical services through JMI Laboratories.
Motif said Iclaprim has previously "demonstrated consistent extracellular and intracellular activity" against listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause a listeriosis.
The food-borne illness is potentially life-threatening and it infects 1,600 people in the US every year, killing 260, Motif Bio said.
Medical Chief David Huang said: "Listeriosis is a potentially life-threatening infection for which more effective treatment options are needed. If the results of this study confirm that iclaprim has potent activity against listeria monocytogenes, we believe that iclaprim could be a potentially useful treatment option and would warrant further study."