Monash researchers develop antibiotic to kill superbugs

A group of Melbourne scientists have developed a new antibiotic that could kill off harmful bacteria that causes pneumonia, UTIs and meningitis.

Professor Jian Li, front and centre, with (left to right) associate professor Tony Velkov and professor Philip Thompson, Dr Kade Roberts and professor Roger Nation. Picture: Supplied

A group of Melbourne professors have developed a new generation antibiotic that could help kill off harmful bacteria that causes pneumonia, urinary tract infections and meningitis.

Described as a second-generation antibiotic, QPX9003 is a new polymyxin designed to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria – known as “superbug” infections.

Pre-clinical evaluations found the drug was safer and had a higher efficacy against critical superbugs which polymyxin antibiotics are currently used against, said Monash microbiology professor Jian Li. It proved to be particularly effective against pneumonia and lung infections which traditional polymyxin is not very helpful against, he said.

Professor Li of Monash’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences has led the research alongside the university’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and US-based biopharmaceutical partner Qpex Biopharma Inc.

Other Monash members include associate professor Tony Velkov and professors Roger Nation, Philip Thompson and Dr Kade Roberts.

The drug entered into phase 1 trials at Qpex Biopharma Inc in the US in June this year and is expected to take up to a year to complete the trial. If the trials are successful, the drug could be on the market in several years, professor Li said.

The World Health Organisation has long been vocal about the need for new antibiotics, first publishing a list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens” in 2017. It classed bacteria which had the ability to develop a resistance to antibiotics into three categories including: critical, high and medium.

Professor Li said the antibiotics space had been deserted by Big Pharma almost two decades ago as there was little financial gain due to high risks and technical challenges.

“The antibiotic discovery golden age continued from about the 50s until the late 1980s,” he said, noting there had been no new polymyxins approved over the past 60 years.

Professor Li said he had been working on developing polymyxins for the past two decades. His new molecule QPX9003 could kill off bacteria faster than traditional polymyxins, he said.

“There’s a much larger concentration therefore there’s a much better chance to kill bacteria cells,” he said.