New antibiotic compounds emerge as strong candidates in the fight against MRSA

New antibiotic compounds emerge as strong candidates in the fight against MRSA

Developing new antibiotics to treat superbugs and other bacterial infections is a global priority, with rates of infections unable to be treated with current antibiotics increasing, becoming one of the biggest threats to human health.

In line with this, new research has shown a daily dose of Epidermicin NI01 - an antibiotic compound developed by University of Plymouth spinout company Amprologix - to eradicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the current standard of care.

The results were achieved using a robust cutaneous MRSA infection model, and those behind the research warrant further preclinical development. In particular, they plan to test whether the compound can be incorporated into gel-type therapies that can be applied to the skin.

Such treatments could be used to treat skin infections caused by MRSA and other bacteria for everything from accidental cuts to surgical wounds, thereby preventing the need for longer courses of topical antibiotics.

Professor Mathew Upton, Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Plymouth and Chief Scientific Officer at Ampologix, will present the latest findings at ESCMID Global 2025, the congress of the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

From April 11th to 15th and will take place in Vienna. It will be attended by an audience of leading experts in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.

There are currently antibiotics that can be used to treat skin infections caused by MRSA and other strains of Staphylococcus, but these can come with a number of unpleasant side effects. There is also increased resistance to these treatments in many bacteria, meaning therapies can fail. Our intention would be to continue using these standard treatments for the more serious MRSA/Staphylococcus infections, such as those in the bloodstream, but to develop other options to treat more superficial infections, for example on the skin. The results we have achieved in our testing so far are very encouraging. They are a clear indication that Epidermicin NI01 is an effective treatment in this setting and we now plan to scale our work and move to a position where we can begin human clinical trials. “

Professor Mathew Upton, Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Plymouth

Professor Upton is a world-leading expert on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and leads the University of Plymouth's Antibiotic Resistant Research Group.

Launched in 2018 to commercialize its research, Ampologix has developed a next-generation antibiotic discovery program through a partnership with the university's commercialization partner, Frontier IP.

His work at the Derrriford Research Facility at Plymouth Science Park combines laboratory testing with the use of cutting-edge machine learning technologies to accelerate research and improve antibiotic properties.

The work is partly funded by a £1m award from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, as part of its biomedical catalysts programme.

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