A new antibiotic called Novltex could be a game-changer in fighting deadly drug-resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool, along with international partners, have developed this new class of antibiotics that can kill some of the most dangerous bacteria in the world.
These bacteria are resistant to many existing antibiotics and cause nearly 5 million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The lead researcher, Dr. Ishwar Singh, explained that Novltex is very effective against two particularly harmful bacteria—MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Enterococcus faecium. These bacteria are at the top of the WHO’s list of dangerous pathogens that urgently need new treatments.
Novltex works in a new and powerful way. Most antibiotics target parts of bacteria that can change over time, which helps the bacteria develop resistance. But Novltex targets something called lipid II, a part of the bacterial wall that doesn’t change. This means Novltex can keep working even when other drugs fail.
The idea behind Novltex came from earlier research by Dr. Singh’s team. They had created simpler versions of a natural antibiotic called teixobactin. These versions were cheaper and easier to make.
Now, using that work, the team developed Novltex—a synthetic platform that can be used to create many similar antibiotics. These new drugs are not only powerful but also safe, easy to produce, and effective at very low doses.
Novltex was found to work better than several well-known antibiotics, including vancomycin and daptomycin. It showed no harmful effects in human cell models and can be made up to 30 times more efficiently than antibiotics that come from natural sources.
This discovery is very promising. Dr. Singh said that Novltex could be an important tool in stopping the rise of superbugs. However, the drug still needs more testing. The next steps include testing it in animals to make sure it is safe and effective. If successful, the team hopes to start clinical trials in people.
This research shows that we might finally be closer to having new antibiotics that can beat superbugs and save millions of lives.
The study is published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
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