Novel Roche Antibiotic Works Against Dangerous Drug-Resistant Bacteria
The new zosurabalpin drug proved able to fight carbapenem-resistant acinetobacter baumannii in mice. The drug-resistant bug, also known as CRAB, kills in as many as 60% of cases. It's top of the WHO's hit-list for pathogens that need new drugs.
Fierce Biotech:
Roche Designs New Antibiotic To Fight Drug-Resistant Infections
Researchers at Roche have developed a novel antibiotic with the ability to fight a dangerous drug-resistant bacteria that kills in up to 60% of infections. In a pair of articles published Jan. 3 in Nature, Roche and Harvard University scientists described how they developed a new antibiotic that is effective against carbapenem-resistant acinetobacter baumannii—also known as CRAB—in mice. The drug, zosurabalpin, works by interrupting construction of the bacteria’s outer membrane. ... CRAB is a common culprit in hospital-acquired sepsis and other infections, and is at the top of the list of both the World Health Organization’s and the Centers for Disease Control’s “priority pathogens” for which new drugs are urgently needed. (Floersh, 1/3)
Read the studies in Nature —
→ A new type of antibiotic targets a drug-resistant bacterium
→ A novel antibiotic class targeting the lipopolysaccharide transporter
CNN:
New Antibiotic Uses Novel Method To Target Deadly Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Says
Zosurabalpin is in its own chemical class and has a unique method of action, says Dr. Kenneth Bradley, the global head of infectious disease discovery with Roche Pharma Research and Early Development and one of the researchers. (Musa, 1/3)
Los Angeles Times:
New Type Of Antibiotic Targets Drug-Resistant Bugs, Study Says
Under a microscope, this drug-resistant superbug looks as benign as a handful of pebbles. Yet carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, or CRAB, is a nightmare for hospitals worldwide, as it kills roughly half of all patients who acquire it. (Purtill, 1/3)
Also —
CIDRAP:
Study Highlights Threat Of Dual-Carbapenemase–Producing Bacteria
A study conducted in a New York City health system identified several patients infected with dual-carbapenemase–producing organisms (DCPOs), researchers reported late last week in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. The study authors say the findings are concerning. "Infectious diseases physicians should be aware of this threat, as our study shows high mortality in patients infected or colonized with DCPOs," they wrote. (Dall, 1/3)
