Tolerability and Efficacy of a Novel Class of Lipidated Glycopeptide Antibiotics

In this project, supported by a NADP Lead Development Voucher, researchers from Leiden University studied how a new class of antibiotics could be used to treat infections dues to hospital-associated superbugs like methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistance enterococci (VRE). Encouragingly, the new antibiotics were shown to be very effective in treating such infections and demonstrate superior safety and activity compared to other clinically-used antibiotics. This work has led to a NACTAR pre-clinical grant to further investigate the in vivo efficacy and safety of the lead compound. A plan is being considered to start a new company (with support from Leiden University) to further pursue the therapeutic potential of the lead compound.

Recently under the NWO/NACTAR clinical studies grant programme funding Euro 350.000 was awarded for the “Advanced Pre-clinical Evaluation of the Guanidino Lipoglycopeptides: A Novel Family of Glycopeptide Antibiotics with Best-in-Class Potential”. This project concerns a novel class of guanidino lipoglycopeptide antibiotics recently discovered by researchers at Leiden University. These new antibiotics demonstrate dramatically enhanced activities compared to vancomycin, the most frequently prescribed glycopeptide. Notably, these new antibiotics are highly active against drug resistant bacteria including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

Prof. dr. Nathaniel Martin, Leiden University