Redx celebrates breakthrough antibiotics development

CHESHIRE drug development company Redx Pharma has developed a series of compounds which have successfully completed two vivo infection studies which show the programme has the potential to create the first new class of broad spectrum antibiotics in 30 years.

The research, conducted by Redx at its facilities at Alderley Park, Cheshire, found the compounds are highly effective against a range of drug resistant bacteria including Gram negative species such as E. coli and Pseudomonas which can be responsible for drug resistant forms of pneumonia, urinary tract infections, intra-abdominal infections and septicaemia.
 
In the in vivo study, using a multi-drug resistant strain of bacteria, the lead compound achieved a significant decrease in bacterial infection levels which was equivalent to tigecycline, a current drug-of-last-resort used in treating antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Bacteria are divided into two broad classes – Gram-positive and Gram-negative. The latter have a highly impermeable cell wall. They also possess the ability to expel drugs that do manage to cross the cell wall.  This poses a huge challenge for healthcare providers as Gram-negative bacteria are increasingly becoming resistant to most available antibiotics.

Redx scientists have previously identified novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors that work as antibiotics against drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The in vivo testing has now confirmed that Redx has discovered compounds that are highly effective against drug resistant strains of Gram-negative bacteria.

In addition, the new compounds have shown an excellent spectrum of activity against a range of Gram-positive bacteria, meaning these candidate antibiotics may also be appropriate for treating a wider range of bacterial infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Neil Murray, chief executive of Redx Pharma, said: “We have put an enormous research focus on fighting drug-resistant infection over the last three years and are excited by the breakthrough that our team has made.

“The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that antibiotic resistance is responsible for more than 2 million infections (CDC 2013).

“In 2014 there were over 750,000 cases of hospital acquired pneumonia in the US and Europe. These infections are the primary cause of death in intensive care units, with mortality rates amongst ventilated patients reaching 50%.

“Overall these infections cause an average increase in hospital stay of between 7-9 days per patient. Unfortunately, many of these infections are becoming resistant to traditional antibiotics, meaning new drug regimens must be found.
 
“Currently more than 50,000 people in Europe and the US alone die annually because of antibiotic resistance and the problem is getting worse year-on-year.  

“It is predicted that globally all drug-resistant infection will claim the lives of 10 million people annually by 2050 if we do not find a solution to this critical problem.

“Developing a truly broad spectrum antibiotic that can treat infections caused by both Gram-negative, as well as Gram-positive bacteria, would therefore be a major breakthrough in the battle to combat life threatening diseases worldwide.”

Redx will now be progressing these compounds with the objective of selecting an optimal lead compound to identify a development candidate that can be progressed into human clinical trials.

The breakthrough comes days after the 193 member states of the United Nations signed a symbolic declaration to tackle the “fundamental threat” of antibiotic resistant super-bugs.