British biotech boasts antibiotic breakthrough

A British biotech company is preparing for phase II trials of a new antibiotic touted as a major leap forward in the fight against drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

Developed by Phico Therapeutics, PT1.2 is the first in a new class of antibacterial therapy forming the company’s SASPject antibiotic platform. A phase I trial, involving 46 healthy volunteers, showed that PT1.2 was well tolerated at two different doses and presented no safety issues.

Phico CEO, Dr Heather Fairhead said that the technology had “the capability to revolutionise antibiotic therapy”.

The UK’s Wellcome Trust is contributing £1.03 million towards the phase II trial, having also provided funding for the first phase. Richard Seabrook, Head of Business Development at the Wellcome Trust, said that the results from the trial could be “pivotal”.

“New antibiotics are urgently needed to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and if SASPject works, it could open up the field to develop similar products for many other bacteria."

Phico describes SASPject as “a novel antibiotic therapy that can be targeted to any bacteria including multidrug-resistant bugs”. An antibiotic protein called SASP is the active agent which is joined with a delivery vehicle to target specific bacteria. It then binds to bacterial DNA and deactivates it. All primary functions in the bacterial cell are switched off, preventing it from reproducing and spreading the infection. The key thing to note, however, is that SASP can bind to anywhere on the DNA disallowing the bacteria from evolving to become resistant.

The delivery vehicle is a virus able only to infect bacteria, commonly known as bacteriophage, but which can be modified to target specific bacterial strains. PT1.2 is designed to target Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of food poisoning and the forerunner of MRSA ((Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

The initial target indication for registration of PT1.2 is the eradication of nasal infections of MRSA in adult patients and healthcare workers. MRSA is generally understood as referring to any strain of Staphylococcus aureus to have developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, including the various penicillins and cephalosporins. It is of particular concern to hospitals where patient’s open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems greatly increase the risks of infection.