Scientists hail new antibiotic that can kill drug-resistant bacteria

[muriel_volestrangler]

Scientists have discovered an entirely new class of antibiotic that appears to kill one of three bacteria considered to pose the greatest threat to human health because of their extensive drug-resistance.

Zosurabalpin defeated highly drug-resistant strains of Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (Crab) in mouse models of pneumonia and sepsis, and was being tested in human trials.

Crab is classified as a priority 1 critical pathogen by the World Health Organization, alongside two other drug-resistant forms of bacteria – Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae.
...
No new antibiotic for Gram-negative bacteria have been approved in more than 50 years.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/03/scientists-new-class-antibiotic-kill-drug-resistant-bacteria

While remembering that "the progression of new drugs from animal studies into humans could be extremely difficult" as the article says, still looks like excellent news.

[pandr32]

1. If this proves effective for humans...

game changer!

[ret5hd]

2. ...for a few years.

[rurallib]

3. Yep - thanks for the reality check

[ck4829]

6. They can't do that if they're eradicated

[paleotn]

9. They won't be eradicated

That’s not going to happen. We live in a microbe dominated world and some of those microbes aren’t very nice. We only think we’re on top of the food chain.

[elleng]

4. 'Discovered,' or 'developed?'

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. A little of each?

To see if they could develop a new drug that could overcome CRAB’s resistance, the researchers turned to a class of molecules called tethered macrocyclic peptides. Earlier studies on the compounds had revealed little antibiotic activity, but a screening of more than 45,000 of them showed that one was able to selectively kill A. baumannii. After a little tweaking, they tested the resulting drug, zosurabalpin, in mouse models of CRAB infection in pneumonia, a thigh wound and sepsis. The drug was effective in reducing the bacteria in all three groups and improved the rate of survival in the sepsis models. It was also effective in killing A. baumannii in more than 100 clinical samples.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/roche-designs-new-antibiotic-fight-deadly-baumannii-infections

[Mr. Evil]

5. Science!

[NNadir]

8. Well, there was methocillin for pennicillin resistance...

...and then this led to MREs, methocillin resistant enterococcus, and then Vancomycin, and then VREs.

It's a battle with evolution and it will never end.

There was a golden age of antibiotics, but it may be coming to an end, with or without abuse.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

13. Vancomycin

Was one of the antibiotics they used to try to kill the cellulitis on my face. They used antibiotics I didnt know existed.

[ancianita]

10. I've read that scientists have used AI to help them develop these drugs.

https://archive.ph/HdYal

[mucifer]

11. I wonder if anyone will able to afford any new drugs. Cost is so out of control.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

12. I had a bout with a bad infection

I had cellulitis on my face. I was told It was gram negative bacteria. I was in the hospital for days as they tried to find an antibiotic that would kill it. My gut flora is a desert now. Taking prescription florestor and diflucan.My face looked awful. But I am ok now.
A drug like the new one would have not had them searching for something to kill it for so long.