Targanta Therapeutics Corporation
Former United States biopharmaceutical company focused on antibacterial medicines, best known for developing oritavancin.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Targanta Therapeutics Corporation was a United States biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional operations in Indianapolis, Montreal, and Toronto. Its work centered on antibacterial drug development, particularly therapies for serious infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. The company’s principal development asset was oritavancin, a semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotic intended for use against difficult-to-treat infections in hospital and other institutional settings. Oritavancin had originally been discovered and developed by Eli Lilly. Targanta obtained worldwide rights to the compound from InterMune in late 2005 and made it the centerpiece of its clinical and corporate strategy. The program targeted complicated skin and skin-structure infections, including infections associated with susceptible and resistant strains of organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, Clostridioides difficile, and streptococci. Data presented at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in September 2007 described rapid bactericidal activity in laboratory testing across a broad range of Gram-positive pathogens. The company reported results from two pivotal Phase 3 trials of oritavancin in complicated skin and skin-structure infections. According to the company’s development disclosures, both studies met their primary efficacy endpoints. The comparator regimen consisted of vancomycin followed by cephalexin, while oritavancin was evaluated as a shorter-course treatment. The larger pivotal study also reported a relative reduction in overall adverse events compared with the comparator regimen. These findings supported Targanta’s effort to position oritavancin as a potentially more convenient antibacterial treatment, although the available reference material does not establish that Targanta itself brought the product to commercial launch. Beyond oritavancin, Targanta operated a drug-discovery platform designed to direct antibiotics to bone tissue. The program used prodrug concepts intended to improve delivery in bone infections. At the 2007 ICAAC meeting, the company presented early in-vivo data for TT99000647, a rifabutin-bisphosphonate prodrug, in a rabbit model of osteomyelitis. This research broadened Targanta’s scientific focus from hospital antibacterial therapy toward difficult-to-treat deep-seated infections. Targanta completed its initial public offering on October 9, 2007, and its shares traded on Nasdaq under the symbol TARG. Its independent public-company period was relatively brief. In 2009, The Medicines Company acquired Targanta, ending Targanta’s existence as an independent publicly traded company. The company is therefore best understood as a defunct or absorbed biotechnology corporate brand rather than an active standalone pharmaceutical business.
History
Targanta Therapeutics Corporation was a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company whose research and development activities focused on antibacterial medicines. The company also maintained operations in Indianapolis, Montreal, and Toronto, indicating a North American operating footprint. Its principal program was oritavancin, a semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotic intended for serious Gram-positive infections in hospitals and other institutional care settings. Oritavancin was not originally discovered by Targanta. The compound had been discovered and developed by Eli Lilly before Targanta acquired worldwide rights from InterMune in late 2005. After obtaining the rights, Targanta made oritavancin the core of its clinical development strategy. The program addressed infections caused by both susceptible and drug-resistant Gram-positive organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, Clostridioides difficile, and streptococci. In September 2007, at the 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Targanta reported laboratory findings describing oritavancin as rapidly bactericidal against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria. The company also presented results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies evaluating the drug in complicated skin and skin-structure infections. Both studies reportedly met their primary efficacy endpoints. The comparator treatment used vancomycin followed by cephalexin, while Targanta emphasized the possibility of achieving efficacy with fewer days of therapy. In the larger pivotal trial, the company reported a relative reduction in overall adverse events compared with the comparator regimen. The available reference material does not establish a subsequent commercial launch by Targanta. Targanta’s research extended beyond its lead clinical candidate. The company created a discovery platform intended to produce antibiotic molecules that could deliver active compounds directly to bone. At the same 2007 scientific meeting, it presented initial animal data for TT99000647, a rifabutin-bisphosphonate prodrug, in a rabbit osteomyelitis model. This program was directed toward difficult bone infections and represented an attempt to apply targeted delivery technology to anti-infective drug development. The company entered the public markets on October 9, 2007, when it completed its initial public offering. Its shares traded on Nasdaq under the symbol TARG. Targanta did not remain an independent public company for long. In 2009, The Medicines Company acquired the business. The transaction ended Targanta’s standalone corporate identity and explains why the company is now treated as defunct or absorbed rather than as an active independent biotechnology enterprise. The available material does not identify Targanta’s founder, senior executives, acquisition consideration, or later corporate developments.
- 2009
Acquisition by The Medicines Company
[1]The Medicines Company acquired Targanta, ending its independent public-company status.
- 2007
Oritavancin and bone-targeting research presented at ICAAC
[1]Targanta presented antibacterial activity and Phase 3 development information for oritavancin, along with early animal data for TT99000647, at the 47th ICAAC meeting.
- 2007
Initial public offering
[1]Targanta completed its initial public offering on October 9, 2007, and traded on Nasdaq under the symbol TARG.
- 2005
Targanta obtains worldwide rights to oritavancin
[1]Targanta acquired worldwide rights to the oritavancin program from InterMune in late 2005, making the antibiotic its lead development asset.
Products and positioning
A development-stage anti-infectives biotechnology company focused on hospital antibacterial medicines, resistant Gram-positive infections, and targeted antibiotic delivery to bone.
Glycopeptide antibiotic
Oritavancin
Oritavancin was Targanta’s lead product candidate and a semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotic. The company pursued it for serious Gram-positive infections, especially complicated skin and skin-structure infections in hospital and institutional settings. Development materials described activity against organisms including Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, Clostridioides difficile, and streptococci. Targanta reported successful primary endpoints in two pivotal Phase 3 studies and highlighted a shorter treatment course and fewer overall adverse events in comparison with vancomycin followed by cephalexin.
Bone-targeted antibiotic prodrug
TT99000647
TT99000647 was an experimental rifabutin-bisphosphonate prodrug from Targanta’s drug-discovery platform. The platform was designed to direct antibiotics to bone and thereby address difficult infections such as osteomyelitis. Targanta presented initial in-vivo efficacy findings in a rabbit osteomyelitis model at the 2007 ICAAC meeting. The available material does not indicate that this candidate reached clinical development or commercialization.
Controversies
2022
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals sues Melinta and Targanta over alleged contract breach
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals filed suit against Melinta Therapeutics and Targanta Therapeutics in the Southern District of New York, alleging breach of a contract concerning development of a pharmaceutical product. The complaint says the defendants failed to pay $1 million in fixed payments; Cumberland seeks damages and other relief. These are allegations in the complaint, not a court determination.
Brand decisions
2009
Accept acquisition by The Medicines CompanyM&ABackground
Targanta remained focused on antibacterial development, led by oritavancin, but the available reference material does not provide the transaction rationale or consideration.
Action taken
The Medicines Company acquired Targanta in 2009.
Aftermath
Targanta ceased operating as an independent publicly traded company.
2007
Pursue public-market financingOtherBackground
Targanta was advancing oritavancin through late-stage clinical development and operating as a development-stage biotechnology company.
Action taken
The company completed an initial public offering on October 9, 2007, with Nasdaq trading under the symbol TARG.
Aftermath
Targanta became a publicly traded biotechnology company before being acquired by The Medicines Company in 2009.
2005
Acquire worldwide rights to oritavancinStrategyBackground
Targanta needed a principal clinical asset for its anti-infectives strategy and pursued the antibiotic originally developed by Eli Lilly.
Action taken
The company obtained worldwide rights to oritavancin from InterMune in late 2005.
Aftermath
Oritavancin became Targanta’s lead development program and the focus of its subsequent clinical and public-company activity.
Recent events
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals sues Melinta and Targanta over alleged contract breach[2]
Reported:
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals filed suit against Melinta Therapeutics and Targanta Therapeutics in the Southern District of New York, alleging breach of a contract concerning development of a pharmaceutical product. The complaint says the defendants failed to pay $1 million in fixed payments; Cumberland seeks damages and other relief. These are allegations in the complaint, not a court determination.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/targanta-therapeutics-corporation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled