Acurx Pharmaceuticals' 2025 Q1 Earnings Call: Unpacking Contradictions in Funding, Phase 3 Trials, and Strategic Partnerships

Funding and partnership strategies, Phase 3 trial start date and enrollment strategy, Phase 3 trial start date and funding, funding and strategic partnerships for Phase III trials, funding and partner strategy are the key contradictions discussed in Acurx Pharmaceuticals' latest 2025Q1 earnings call



Funding and Financial Performance:
- Acurx Pharmaceuticals raised a total of approximately $3.6 million through two registered direct offerings during Q1 2025.
- The company reported a net loss of $2.1 million or $0.11 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to a net loss of $4.4 million or $0.28 per diluted share in the same period last year.
- The decrease in net loss is primarily due to a decrease in manufacturing and consulting costs related to trial expenses.

R&D and Cost Cutting:
- Research and development expenses decreased by $1 million to $0.6 million in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
- General and administrative expenses also decreased by $1.2 million to $1.6 million in Q1 2025.
- These decreases are attributed to cost-cutting measures implemented by the company, which will continue until the start of the Phase 3 program.

Ibezapolstat Clinical Trials and Regulatory Approval:
- Positive regulatory guidance was received from the European Medicines Agency for ibezapolstat's Phase 3 clinical trial program, aligning with FDA feedback.
- The company has secured a new patent for its DNA pol IIIC inhibitors in Japan and India, further supporting its ACX-375 program.
- The momentum in clinical trials and regulatory approval is due to the company's strategic focus on developing ibezapolstat as a novel antibiotic treatment for CDI with high rates of clinical cure and sustained clinical cures.

Microbiome Research and Differentiation:
- Acurx published two non-clinical studies showing ibezapolstat's selective activity and potential microbiome-preserving effects.
- The studies suggest ibezapolstat's superiority over other antibiotics in treating C. difficile infections and could mitigate the need for expensive microbiome therapeutic agents.
- These findings are being explored further and may inform the Phase 3 trial, emphasizing ibezapolstat's differentiation in the CDI space.