06 January 2024 , 18:25
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Scientists have formulated a new type of antibiotic that has the potential to treat lethal drug-resistant superbugs.
Called Zosurabalpin, the novel drug defeated strains of Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), a lethal bacteria resistant to most medication.
This discovery was described as "exciting" by experts who added that if offered "definite hope" for other hard-to-treat infections.
According to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic-resistant superbugs kill over 1 million people each year. Projections show these dangerous bugs could claim 10 million lives annually by 2050.
However, Zosurabalpin, made by pharma giant Roche, can "effectively" destroy CRAB, which medics have warned is epidemic in hospitals, researchers said. The organism, classed a "priority-one critical pathogen" by the WHO, can cause very serious invasive blood and chest infections in critically ill hospital patients.
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Antibiotic resistance is a big problem (Getty Images/iStockphoto)According to The Sun, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership scientific director Professor Laura Piddock said: "It is really exciting - and not only is it good for this type of bacteria, but this could be built upon for others as well."
Dr Michael Lobritz, the global head of infectious diseases at Roche, said: “This is the first time we’ve found anything that operates in this way, so it is unique in its chemical makeup and mechanism of action."
However, he stressed the discovery of this drug would not solve the public health threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections alone, but does set the stage for future drugs using the same mechanism. Scientists recently published the results of their experiments involving Zosurabalpin in the journal Nature.