Osteal Therapeutics has raised $50m in Series D financing, as the orthopaedic infection treatment specialist turns its eyes to a regulatory submission for its lead candidate VT-X7.

Medtech giant Zimmer Biomet led the round with participation from existing investors, including Johnson & Johnson Innovation, among others.

The funds, which follow $23m raised in Series C financing in late 2023, will be used for a new drug application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for VT-X7. Proceeds will also go towards advancing the US-based company’s musculoskeletal portfolio, according to a 5 June press release.

Osteal has designed VT-X7 for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection. The condition is a complication of joint replacement surgery in which bacteria infiltrate the joint implant. This causes biofilms, a layer of microorganisms that are hard to treat.

VT-X7 is a drug/device combination product, consisting of antibiotic drugs vancomycin hydrochloride and tobramycin sulfate for irrigation and the VT-X7 irrigation system. The therapy works by placing a spacer connected to an irrigation pump. Antibiotics are then administered into the joint space through the spacer for seven days of treatment.

Osteal says the product can deliver high antibiotic concentrations at the infection site and is effective against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

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