Panicin

Panicin is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing a novel class of antimicrobial therapeutics based on Paneth cell-derived alpha-defensins. Founded on the research of Dr. Andre Ouellette at the University of California, Irvine, the company leverages the innate immune mechanisms of the mammalian gut to combat multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. Panicin's platform involves the engineering of synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that mimic the broad-spectrum, rapid-acting bactericidal activity of natural defensins. These agents are designed to disrupt bacterial cell membranes, a mechanism that significantly reduces the likelihood of developing resistance compared to conventional antibiotics. The company is currently advancing its lead candidates for the treatment of life-threatening infections and enteric diseases where current standard-of-care antibiotics are increasingly ineffective.