Cempra Pharmaceuticals, which is backed by Intersouth Partners in Durham, has closed another $10 million in venture funding.
The B round was reported by Private Equity Hub, a publication of Thomson Financial. PE Hub cited a regulatory filing.
Cempra, which is less than two years old, has already raised $24 million in financing. It has licensed technology from a California firm for use in development of anti-infectives.
Intersouth participated in the B round along with Aisling Capital, Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. and banker I. Wistar Morris III.
The company has proprietary chemistry technology related to macrolides, which are antibiotics that fight a wide range of bacterial infections. The firm’s founders have backgrounds in discovering and developing anti-infective treatments.
Cempra has already licensed a pipeline of macrolides and ketolides, which are effective against macrolide-resistant bacteria, from Optimer Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, CA. According to the company it has a number of compounds at various stages of development.
The global market for anti-infective drugs is estimated to be greater than $30 billion, according to Cempra.
Cempra was launched in January. It is led by Prabhavathi Fernandes, who is president and chief executive officer
