UK researchers make 'superbug' breakthrough

UK-based systems biology drug discovery company e-Therapeutics has discovered three drugs that kill MRSA.

At present, sufferers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are likely to be given the antibiotic vancomycin as the 'last line of defence' in treating these infections. However, many strains of the bacteria can now resist even this antibiotic.

The drugs discovered by e-Therapeutics have been demonstrated in the laboratory to kill even vancomycin-resistant strains of MRSA. They also kill other dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Staphylococcus epidermidis, which are an increasing menace in hospitals.

e-Therapeutics is planning the final stages of clinical testing of the three drugs, which are already known to be safe, as the same compounds are already used to treat other diseases. This means that effectively the drugs are entering the Phase IIb stage of clinical trials and they could be available as soon as three years from now.

These discoveries have resulted from e-Therapeutics' novel approach to drug discovery, which is based on 'systems biology'. The company is industrialising drug discovery by putting as many as possible of the processes involved in drug discovery into very large computers. This systematic approach to drug discovery is demonstrating remarkable productivity, with more than 40 lead compounds, in addition to the three MRSA drugs, delivered in the last year.

'We pursued treatments for MRSA and other resistant bugs because older laboratory methods have been extensively tried in this area but haven't resulted in effective new medicines,' said Professor Malcolm Young, ceo of e-Therapeutics. 'These new therapies for MRSA and other dangerous hospital-based infections are a tremendous boost for our new approach to drug discovery and for patient safety.'

Dr Roy Drucker, medical director of e-Therapeutics, added: 'We're now going to pursue other areas where medical need hasn't been met by conventional drug discovery, such as other drug-resistant infectious diseases, and malignant melanoma. These new approaches give us the unique ability to systematically address clinical areas where existing drugs don't work.'