New antibiotics could save millions from drug-resistant superbugs

Following a discovery by UK scientists, a "game-changing" antibiotic might be used as a "last line of defence" against superbugs, potentially saving millions of lives from otherwise drug-resistant diseases, according to a study.

New variants of the chemical teixobactin, which are expected to be capable of killing bacteria without harming mammalian tissue, have been discovered, according to researchers.

Teixobactin was first touted as a "game-changing" antibiotic in 2015, but according to scientists, the current effort has generated "synthetic" classes of the medicine.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

A team of researchers from the University of Liverpool discovered that these versions could kill a wide range of bacteria obtained from human patients.

In mouse research, they also successfully eradicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a so-called superbug that is resistant to numerous commonly used antibiotics.

According to a report published in The Lancet in January, more than 1.2 million people died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant bacterial illnesses.

According to the researchers, the results suggest that patients with systemic, life-threatening resistant bacterial infections could be treated with just one dose of teixobactin per day in the future.

The synthetic counterparts can also be kept at ambient temperature, reducing the requirement for cold chains and facilitating global distribution, according to the researchers.

(With inputs from agencies)