New Antibiotic Offers Hope for Hard-to-Treat Infections
A new antibiotic has been discovered that could be effective against dangerous, drug-resistant infections.
The new compound, which is called zosurabalpin (zo-SUra-BAL-pin), has been shown to work very well against infections caused by a bacterium known as carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, or CRAB. Carbapenems are a type of antibiotic.
CRAB is one of three pathogens that the World Health Organization has listed as "Priority 1: Critical."
Because CRAB is drug-resistant, it has become a major problem around the world, particularly in hospitals, where it can cause serious infections such as sepsis and pneumonia.
About 40% to 60% of those who are infected with CRAB die.
Despite this, no new antibiotic has been approved for use against this bacterium in over 50 years.
CRAB is difficult to treat because the bacterium has a double membrane that protects it, making it difficult to get drugs into it.
But laboratory experiments have shown that zosurabalpin makes it hard for the bacterium to build this membrane, by stopping a particular molecule from reaching the bacterium's cell surface. Without the membrane's protection, the bacterium eventually dies.
The new antibiotic was developed in Switzerland at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development. Michael Lobritz, who is head of infectious diseases there, told The Guardian that the new drug is unique.
"This is the first time we've found anything that operates in this way," he said.
Researchers tested the new antibiotic on mice, and found that it is effective against pneumonia and sepsis caused by CRAB.
The antibiotic has also been tested on a small number of healthy humans, and the researchers say they are now ready for clinical trials in humans with infections caused by CRAB.
Because human clinical trials take several years, it will be some time before the new antibiotic is approved and ready for use in hospitals.
However, experts say the early findings offer hope not only for an effective way to treat CRAB, but for the possibility of new ways to treat other bacteria as well.
