Zosurabalpin: Novel Antibiotic Takes Aim at Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Reports

Scientists have announced the development of a novel antibiotic designed to address bacterial strains resistant to most existing antibiotics, particularly those causing severe infections with high mortality rates. 

The targeted bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii, poses significant health risks by leading to critical infections in the lungs, urinary tract, and bloodstream, as highlighted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Notably, this bacterium exhibits resistance to carbapenems, a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics. 

Identified as carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), it held the top position among the World Health Organization’s “priority pathogens” for antibiotic resistance in 2017. 

In the United States alone, CRAB resulted in approximately 8,500 infections and 700 fatalities among hospitalized patients in the year 2017, according to the latest data from the CDC.

Cutting-Edge Antibiotic Zosurabalpin Triumphs Against  CRAB

However, according to researchers affiliated with Harvard University and the Swiss healthcare company Hoffmann-La Roche, a newly developed antibiotic named zosurabalpin demonstrates effective efficacy against Acinetobacter baumannii.

Dr. Kenneth Bradley, the global head of infectious disease discovery at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development and a member of the research team, highlights that zosurabalpin belongs to a distinct chemical class and operates through a unique mechanism.

“This represents a pioneering approach, both in terms of the compound itself and the method by which it eradicates bacteria,” he noted.

Acinetobacter baumannii, characterized as a Gram-negative bacterium with protective inner and outer membranes, poses challenges for conventional treatment methods. 

The research objective focused on identifying and refining a molecule capable of traversing the double membranes and effectively eliminating the bacteria.

Zosurabalpin impedes Acinetobacter baumannii growth by obstructing the movement of lipopolysaccharides crucial for outer membrane integrity. 

This accumulation within bacterial cells, reaching toxic levels, leads to cell demise. 

In research, zosurabalpin proved effective against 100+ clinical CRAB samples, notably reducing bacterial l