Hope against super germs – New antibiotic developed – Knowledge


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A new approach aims to combat antibiotic-resistant hospital germs. The first successes were achieved in the laboratory and in mice.

The Basel-based pharmaceutical company Roche is developing an active ingredient that is intended to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The antibiotic “Zosurabalpin” shows promising results, but there is still a long way to go before it can be used in practice.

New antibiotic against hospital germs

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a major health threat worldwide. They cause deaths, prolong hospital stays and increase healthcare costs. According to a study published in the journal Nature, the new antibiotic works against Acinetobacter baumannii – a typical hospital germ that can cause pneumonia.

More than 50 years have passed since the last distinct class of antibiotics capable of treating infections caused by gram-negative bacteria was introduced

The new antibiotic attacks a new target and works: at least in the laboratory and in mice, it reduces the number of bacteria.

This is how Zosurabalpine works


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Acinetobacter Baumannii is a “gram-negative” bacteria that is surrounded by an inner and an outer membrane. They are difficult for most antibiotics to overcome.

Zosurabalpine belongs to a new chemical class of antibiotics called bound macrocyclic peptides. Specifically, the active ingredient inhibits the transport of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule to the outer layer of the bacterial membrane. Inhibition of this transport causes LPS to accumulate to toxic levels within the cell, ultimately leading to cell death. This is a new way to fight bacteria, say the authors. Therefore, bacteria have not yet had the opportunity to develop resistance mechanisms against this molecule.

“It has been more than 50 years since the last independent class of antibiotics capable of treating infections caused by gram-negative bacteria was introduced,” says Michael Lobritz from Roche, who was involved in the study.

The safety, tolerability and effects on humans are now being examined in a phase 1 clinical study.

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