Trellis Bioscience Secures $9 Million for Biofilm-Disrupting Therapy

The capital injection brings the company's total equity funding to $35 million, supplemented by an equivalent amount in non-dilutive grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and CARB-X. Joining existing backers New Science Ventures and Easton Capital are the AMR Action Fund and The Doctor Group. As part of the investment, Junjun Gao of the AMR Action Fund will join the Trellis board.

Prosthetic joint infections affect over 25,000 Americans annually, often requiring a grueling two-stage surgical revision that can cost more than $400,000 per patient. Calpurbatug aims to transform the standard DAIR procedure—debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention—by stripping away the protective biofilm that shields bacteria. Early clinical evidence suggests this approach could offer a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery. With the current Phase 2 study now fully enrolled, the company expects to release top-line results in the second quarter of 2027. The drug has already secured Orphan Drug, Fast Track, and Qualified Infectious Disease Product designations from the FDA to expedite its path toward regulatory approval.