New antibiotic class effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria

Scientists at Uppsala University have discovered a new class of antibiotics with potent activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, and have shown that it cures bloodstream infections in mice. The new antibiotic class is described in an article in the scientific journal PNAS.

Antibiotics are the foundation of modern medicine and over the last century have dramatically improved the lives of people around the world. Nowadays we tend to take antibiotics for granted and rely heavily on them to treat or prevent bacterial infections, including for example, to reduce the risk of infections during cancer therapy, during invasive surgery and transplants, and in mothers and preterm babies. Increasingly though, the global rise in antibiotic resistance threatens their effectiveness. In order to ensure access to effective antibiotics in the future, development of novel therapeutics to which there is no existing resistance is essential.