The alarming rise of antibiotic drug resistance and the shrinking supply of new antibiotics make the development of new antibacterial therapies an urgent priority on a global scale. The focus of this proposal is the pre-clinical development of a novel chemotype, pentamidine, which shows high promise as both a combination therapy with conventional antibiotics and as a monotherapy against a wide array of multi-drug resistant organisms. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to identify the best lead compound, based on the pentamidine chemotype, with maximal efficacy while lowering toxicity.
Impact
We have shown remarkable efficacy of this compound as a monotherapy and in combination with conventional antibiotics in murine models of infections, both via systemic and topical routes. With a unique mode of action, activity against all MDROs and most importantly, clinical readiness, pentamidine stands as a powerful antibiotic with great potential to combat drug-resistant infections.
Student Experience
At the heart of this project are trainees, p-docs and graduate students who have contributed to the discovery of our lead compound and to its optimization.
Countries
Canada, United States of America
Impact
Research
Institutional Partner(s)
BARDA of the US Government funds the work in the US.
