New drugs may beat resistant bugs

WASHINGTON, Jun 27, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A new category of antibiotics under development could replace current drugs that have lost their effectiveness against deadly bacteria, a Brigham Young researcher said.

"I think this whole area shows a lot of promise," said Dr. Paul Savage, a biochemistry professor at Brigham Young University, where much of the groundbreaking research was conducted. "These developments can be considered very good news."

Good news has been lacking over the past few years on the antibiotic front. More and more bacteria have been developing resistance to current drugs, including vancomycin, an antibiotic typically held in reserve until all others prove ineffective.

Savage outlined their potential Monday in Bethesda, Md., at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases' annual meeting on antimicrobial resistance.

The new compounds are called cationic steroid antibiotics or CSAs. They mimic the body's naturally occurring peptides that protect against bacteria, viruses and cancer. Natural peptides do not trigger antibiotic resistance.

"Really, it is going down the same path nature has followed in terms of controlling microbial growth," Savage said.

CSAs under development by Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals of Denver could be on the market in three to five years, he said.

The focal point of the research, Savage said, is to develop compounds that can replace or augment the body's natural defenses against bacterial invaders.

"We're looking at skin disease, atopic dermatitis, burn wounds, antibacterial action in the lungs," he said. "We're especially interested in cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal ailments."

One particularly lethal bacteria, called MRSA, accounts for 46 percent of all staph infections in British hospitals. The problem got so bad it became an issue in the recent British election, with Tony Blair's government vowing to slash the rate.

Savage said CSAs hold promise of knocking out MRSA.

Most troubling are bacteria that have become resistant to vancomycin. Savage said data suggests CSAs could be effective against those bacteria.

Research also shows CSAs could come to the rescue of cystic-fibrosis patients who are prone to infections that have acquired resistance to treatment with antibiotics.