(FeaturedNews.com) – Scientists in Switzerland announced that they had discovered a new antibiotic, called zosurabalpin, which could be used to fight off drug-resistant bacteria.
The new antibiotic works by blocking lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial molecule responsible for the creation of the outer membrane that keeps Acinetobacter baumannii, a dangerous bacteria, safe. This particular bacteria is resistant to the majority of antibiotics and when infecting the body it can cause infections in the urinary tract, lungs, blood, and other areas of the body.
Zosurabalpin has been used in animal studies to kill off certain strains of Acinetobacter.
The research which was published on Jan. 3 in the journal Nature was conducted by scientists at Roche Pharma Research & Early Development. The head of the discovery Kenneth Bradley shared that the new antibiotic blocks the outer membrane from being created which stops the bacteria from creating the membrane that allows them to survive in these harsh environments.
As he pointed out, this was the first time in over five decades that a new class of antibiotic had been discovered that can treat infectious gram-negative bacteria.
Bradley noted that the reason zosurabalpin has such a specific usage is that it binds the drug target to the bacteria in a unique way. He added that they were hopeful that the discovery could lead to them fighting off other drug-resistant bacteria.
The new antibiotic is currently in phase 1 clinical trial where it is being evaluated for the “safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics” of the molecule.
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