New antibiotic could tackle drug-resistant bacteria, research shows

Scientists have lauded early data from trials of a "promising" new antibiotic that could tackle drug-resistant bacteria.

So far scientists have seen positive results in mice trials, with the drug overcoming the existing antibiotic resistance mechanisms.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a global pathogen that has had no new antibiotic treatment in more than 50 years, but animal trials of tethered macrocyclic peptide (MCP) antibiotics appear to be effective against the bacteria, according to research published in Nature on Wednesday.

The data collected represents "a promising treatment" for patients who have infections caused by CRAB.

Zosurabalpin, a type of MCP, works by blocking the transport of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (large toxin-containing molecules) from the inner membrane to its destination on the outer membrane.

Bacterial infections that are resistant to current antibiotics are considered "an urgent threat to public health," the research said.

It described the effective treatment of bacterial infections as a "foundation of modern health care" in order for crucial technologies such as transplants, cancer chemotherapy and surgery to go ahead in a safe way.

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