New UK Developed Anti-Bacterial Drug {Metallo-Porphyrin} Unveiled At Leading European Microbiology Congress

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 21 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Yesterday's 19th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference in Helsinki reported a significant addition to the dwindling number of drugs in the fight against the hospital 'Superbug', Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

UK-based pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma presented research into the rapid anti-bacterial activity of its latest platform of drugs against Staphylococcus aureus on the second day of the conference. Whilst the company's lead anti-microbial XF-73 continues on course within Phase I/IIa clinical development, Destiny has now demonstrated the novel anti-bacterial mechanism of action of DPD-207. This is an example of its new platform of Metallo-Porphyrin (MP) drugs which has been proven to act in a similar manner to the XF drug platform.

The XF drugs:

1. Kill bacteria extremely quickly (much faster than traditional antibiotics)
2. Bacteria such as MRSA seem unable to become resistant to XF/MP drug action (unlike many antibiotics to which the Superbug can rapidly become resistant)
3. Kill bacteria within biofilms (the protective 'jelly' bacteria produce around themselves, which acts as a protective barrier against antibiotics)

The MP drugs appear to share many of the same revolutionary and highly advantageous anti-bacterial properties of the XF drugs.

The MP drug platform represents a significant expansion of the Destiny Pharma drug portfolio.

More information about MRSA

In the USA around 126,000 people are hospitalised each year with MRSA-related infections resulting in 19,000 fatalities. In the UK, MRSA causes over 6,000 serious bloodstream infections each year and results in at least 1,600 deaths. Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) predominantly caused by MRSA, are estimated to cost the NHS over £1 billion every year and the US economy more than $30 billion

More information about the XF series

The XF compounds are bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic; killing the bacteria instead of just limiting population growth. These compounds have a unique structure based on a porphyrin core and are chemically distinct from all existing antimicrobial therapies.

In laboratory studies, the XFs are active against a wide variety of clinically important gram-positive bacteria, including the most common and problematic MRSA strains and two clinical isolates of Clostridium difficile.

Source
Destiny Pharma