BioVersys and Hackensack Meridian Health partner on novel ansamycin molecules for non-tuberculous mycobacteria. March 31, 2026 Novel ansamycin small molecules developed at New Jersey's Hackensack Meridian Health's Center for Discovery and Innovation are moving into joint profiling and development under an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with BioVersys AG (SIX: BIOV). The deal targets non-tuberculous mycobacteria, a class of environmental pathogens responsible for difficult-to-treat pulmonary disease in patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and COPD. BioVersys, a Basel-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on MDR bacteria antibacterial drug development, will assume development responsibilities while Hackensack Meridian Health receives upfront and near-term payments plus royalties on future sales. Financial terms were not disclosed. Deal context. The ansamycin candidates originate from research conducted by Dr. Thomas Dick and Dr. Véronique Dartois at HMH's Center for Discovery and Innovation, developed in collaboration with Dr. Courtney Aldrich at the University of Minnesota. The molecules are described by the company as orally bioavailable small molecules with in vitro and in vivo activity against NTM pathogens. Ansamycins as a class act on bacterial RNA polymerase, the enzyme responsible for transcription; the archetypal member, rifampicin, is a cornerstone of tuberculosis therapy but lacks reliable activity against NTM species including Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium complex due to intrinsic resistance. The HMH-originated candidates are described as structurally novel derivatives designed to address that resistance gap. NTM pulmonary disease affects approximately 250,000 people annually, predominantly in North America and Asia. Treatment requires prolonged multi-drug regimens lasting at least 12 months, and cure rates for NTM lung disease are reported as low as 30-50%. For Mycobacterium abscessus specifically, no therapy of predictable efficacy exists, and the pathogen carries mortality rates reported at up to 50%. The incidence of NTM infections among people with cystic fibrosis has risen from 3.3% to 22.6% in recent years, with Mycobacterium abscessus becoming more prevalent in that population. The BioVersys ansamycin collaboration with HMH extends a platform the company has been building through research teams in Basel and Lille, France. BioVersys states that its internal Ansamycin Chemistry platform has already produced orally bioavailable broad-spectrum anti-NTM lead candidates with in vitro and in vivo activity. The HMH molecules are described as synergistic with that existing pool, adding novel chemical matter and expanding the range of structural series available for candidate selection. The deal also permits development of antimicrobial agents beyond NTM, though no specific additional indications are named in the announcement. BioVersys' broader pipeline provides context for where this discovery-stage program sits. The company's most advanced asset, BV100, is in Phase III for nosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. Its tuberculosis candidate alpibectir is in Phase II in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline and a University of Lille consortium. The NTM program, designated BV500, sits earlier in development and is the subject of a separate global research collaboration with Shionogi, under which advanced leads are being progressed toward candidate selection. The HMH agreement feeds additional chemical matter into that same pipeline, enlarging the pool of candidates available before a development candidate is nominated. HMH is a not-for-profit health network comprising 18 hospitals and more than 500 care locations across New Jersey. Its Center for Discovery and Innovation houses more than 34 laboratories and over 200 researchers focused on cancer, infectious diseases, and other conditions. The CDI's involvement in antibiotic discovery, particularly through the Dick and Dartois laboratories, represents a research focus that has produced compounds now entering industry-partnered development through this agreement. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

BioVersys strengthens ansamycin platform and NTM research through collaboration and license agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health. 31 March 2026 - BioVersys Basel, Switzerland. March 31, 2026, 7am CEST. * BioVersys strengthens its Ansamycin Chemistry platform and research on tackling difficult-to-treat non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) diseases. * BioVersys joins forces with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) and their Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) to advance ansamycin antimicrobial candidates through an exclusive collaboration and license agreement. * HMH is a leading US not-for-profit health care network, and the largest in New Jersey. * NTMs are ubiquitous environmental bacteria, predominately causing morbidity and death in those with long-term lung conditions, like bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis and requiring long-term antibiotic combination treatments. BioVersys AG (SIX: BIOV), a multi-asset, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on research and development of novel antibacterial products for serious life-threatening infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, announced today, that it has entered into an exclusive ansamycin drug discovery collaboration and license agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), the parties will jointly profile and develop ansamycin candidates coming from HMH. HMH is eligible to receive an upfront and near-term payments as well as royalties on future sales. BioVersys' proprietary Ansamycin Chemistry platform has been developed through its research teams in Lille (France) and Basel (Switzerland) and has already produced several advanced, highly potent and orally bioavailable broad-spectrum anti-NTM lead candidates with in vitro and in vivo activity that are now jointly progressed towards candidate selection with Shionogi as part of the BV500 program. The addition of novel ansamycin chemistry and advanced lead molecules developed by the group of Dr. Thomas Dick and Dr. Véronique Dartois at HMH's Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) in collaboration with their partner Dr. Courtney Aldrich at the University of Minnesota, further strengthens and is synergistic with BioVersys' Ansamycin Chemistry platform and the pool of potently active orally bioavailable anti-NTM leads, while also allowing for development of additional antimicrobial agents. Dr. Marc Gitzinger, CEO at BioVersys: "Early-stage partnerships with leading institutes and health centers from around the world grants us access to the best science to strengthen our Ansamycin Chemistry platform from which we aim to develop new clinical candidates. We are pleased to be working with the team of Profs. Thomas Dick and Véronique Dartois, and the world-renowned Hackensack Meridian Health. This collaboration emphasizes our determination to tackle NTM diseases, which are some of the most difficult bacterial diseases to cure. We strive to bring benefit to vulnerable populations at a higher risk of developing infections, like the 105'000 people known to be living with cystic fibrosis[1] and the ~400 million patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[2] (COPD)." Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, President of Research, Academics, and Innovation at Hackensack Meridian Health: "This partnership has huge potential for a growing health problem, and the CDI's breakthroughs are complemented perfectly by the aptitude of BioVersys." Dr. David Perlin CSO and EVP at Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation: "The ingenuity and expertise of Drs. Dick and Dartois is uniquely poised to tackle this critical infectious disease problem. It's an example of Hackensack Meridian Health and the CDI leveraging its considerable talent to drive a new standard of care forward." Dr. Daniel Ritz, CSO at BioVersys: "We are delighted to enter into a partnership with HMH. This collaboration brings together world-renowned experts in antimicrobial research and expands BioVersys' Ansamycin Chemistry platform, supporting the company's commitment to advancing innovative treatments for infectious diseases where there is a clear unmet medical need." Dr. Thomas Dick, Professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine: "NTM infections remain a 'silent' crisis for patients with chronic lung conditions, who often face grueling, year-long treatments with limited success. By merging our CDI discoveries with BioVersys' clinical expertise, we are moving closer to providing these patients with the potent, oral therapeutic options they have been waiting for. We look forward to bringing our advanced lead molecules to the next stage in this partnership. They are the product of a long and successful collaboration with the group of Dr. Courtney Aldrich and Tian Lan at the University of Minnesota." Full PR available here BEAM Alliance (C) 2026

Lumeris and Hackensack Meridian Health have expanded their value-based care partnership to include Traditional Medicare through the Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO. The collaboration builds on their existing work with commercial and Medicare Advantage patients across HMH's Clinically Integrated Network. The HMH ACO comprises over 700 doctors serving approximately 46,200 patients. In 2024, the organisation achieved $40 million in healthcare savings with an 87.27% quality score from CMS, earning over $18 million in shared savings. Previous HMH ACO groups saved more than $247 million between 2012 and 2021. Lumeris will support the programme with its AI-powered Tom platform, enabling performance tracking and workflow management. The expansion aims to improve care coordination whilst reducing avoidable utilisation and administrative burden for Medicare beneficiaries across New Jersey.