A team of scientists from the United States and Switzerland has developed a new antibiotic capable of effectively killing Acinetobacter baumannii, also known as CRAB, which is known for its strong drug resistance and high mortality rate in patients.
The increasing problem of antibiotic resistance. (Illustrative photo: AFP/TTXVN).
According to research conducted by scientists from Harvard University (USA) and the healthcare company Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland), the new antibiotic, zosurabalpin, has proven effective against over 100 clinical samples tested. The researchers reported that this antibiotic significantly reduced the bacterial load in mice with pneumonia caused by CRAB and also prevented the risk of death in mice suffering from bloodstream infections caused by this bacterium.
Dr. Kenneth Bradley, head of the global infectious disease research department at Hoffmann-La Roche, stated that zosurabalpin represents a new approach, both in terms of its compound and its mechanism of killing bacteria. The authors noted that zosurabalpin is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials to assess its safety, tolerability, and pharmacological effects in humans.
CRAB is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being in the “extremely dangerous” group, posing a serious threat to human health. According to the WHO, this bacterium has extremely strong antibiotic resistance and can withstand many existing treatment methods. As a result, for over 50 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been unable to approve any new antibiotics that can effectively eliminate CRAB.
This bacterium can survive for extended periods on shared surfaces. It can spread through human contact, via normal interaction. In addition to causing blood infections, CRAB also affects the lungs and urinary tract.
CRAB poses a significant threat to hospitals, nursing homes, and patients dependent on ventilators and dialysis machines. It also endangers individuals with open wounds following surgery. Statistics show that 20% of patients in intensive care units worldwide are infected with this bacterium.
