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§ Private Profile · 675 Massachusetts Ave Ste 14, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States
Spero Therapeutics is a technology company.
Spero Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for serious rare diseases and multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Its pipeline targets high unmet medical needs, specifically addressing antibiotic resistance. A key product, Tebipenem HBr, is an oral carbapenem designed to treat complicated urinary tract infections, including those caused by resistant pathogens.
Founded in April 2013 by Ankit Mahadevia and Laurence Rahme, Spero Therapeutics emerged from the critical need for innovative therapies to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. The founders recognized the escalating public health crisis, aiming to leverage scientific advancements to bring new solutions to patients.
Spero Therapeutics' therapies are intended for patients suffering from rare diseases and severe infections unresponsive to existing antibiotics. The company’s long-term vision is to deliver differentiated medicines that significantly improve patient outcomes in these challenging conditions, addressing global health threats through targeted therapeutic approaches.
Spero Therapeutics has raised $155.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Spero Therapeutics has raised $155.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Spero Therapeutics has raised $155.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Other Equity in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2021 | $40M Venture Round | Pfizer | — | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2017 | $52M Series C | GV | Atlas Venture, Endeavor Venture Funds, FPV Fund, MPM Capital, SR ONE, Westlake Village BioPartners, Timothy A. Springer, Lundbeckfond Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Osage University Partners, RA Capital Management, Rock Springs Capital, The Kraft Group | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2016 | $30M Series B | — | Atlas Venture, SR ONE, Elliott Sigal, Timothy A. Springer, Lundbeckfond Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Partners Innovation Fund, The Kraft Group | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2015 | $30M Series A | Casper Breum | Atlas Venture, MPM Capital, Hakan Goker, RA Capital, SR ONE, Elliott Sigal, Timothy A. Springer, Joshua Resnick, Partners Innovation Fund, The Kraft Group | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2014 | $3M Series A | — | Atlas Venture, MPM Capital, Hakan Goker, RA Capital, Elliott Sigal, Mass General Brigham, Roche, SR ONE | Announced |
Spero Therapeutics has raised $155.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Spero Therapeutics's investors include Pfizer, GV, Atlas Venture, Endeavor Venture Funds, FPV Fund, MPM Capital, SR One, Westlake Village BioPartners, Timothy A. Springer, Lundbeckfond Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Osage University Partners.
Spero Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, not a general technology company, dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and rare diseases.[1][2][6] It builds innovative antibiotics and therapies, such as the oral carbapenem tebipenem HBr for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) and SPR206 for MDR Gram-negative infections, targeting patients with limited treatment options amid the global antibiotic resistance crisis.[2][4][5] The company serves hospitals, communities, and patients facing serious infections where current standards of care are suboptimal, solving unmet needs in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through targeted agents that minimize resistance risks.[1][3][5] Recent growth includes the PIVOT-PO Phase 3 trial for tebipenem HBr meeting its primary endpoint early for efficacy in partnership with GSK, positioning Spero for potential commercialization.[4]
Spero Therapeutics was founded in 2013 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in response to the escalating crisis of antibiotic resistance, with over two million US patients affected annually and 23,000 deaths from resistant bacteria.[1][3][5] Scientific founder Dr. Laurence Rahme, an Associate Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and leader in bacterial pathogenesis, inspired the first program targeting virulence and persistence in Gram-negative bacteria like *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*.[3] Ankit Mahadevia, MD, served as Acting President early on, emphasizing novel approaches with a world-class team; the company's name derives from the Latin "spero" meaning "hope," reflecting "dum spiro spero" ("while I breathe, I hope").[1][3] Early traction came from a 2014 antibiotics partnership with Roche and subsequent collaborations with government, academia, and pharma, evolving from bacterial infections focus to include rare diseases.[3][8]
Spero rides the critical wave of combating AMR, a global public health threat jeopardizing routine medicine, with rising resistance to last-line antibiotics driving demand for innovative anti-infectives.[1][2][5][7] Timing is pivotal amid post-pandemic infection surges and regulatory incentives for antibiotics, positioning Spero to fill gaps in MDR treatments for Gram-negative bacteria like CRE.[3][5] Market forces favoring it include partnerships accelerating development (e.g., GSK's tebipenem trial) and investor interest in biotech addressing resistance, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering virulence-targeted approaches that preserve antibiotic efficacy long-term.[3][4][8]
Spero's Phase 3 success with tebipenem HBr signals near-term commercialization potential, with next earnings on March 26, 2026, and ongoing rare disease programs likely driving milestones.[4][5] Rising AMR trends and stewardship policies will shape its path, potentially expanding influence through more partnerships and global access initiatives.[2][6] As a leader in differentiated MDR therapies, Spero embodies hope against resistance, poised to deliver life-changing treatments where needs are dire.[1]