Lakewood-Amedex Inc., a leading developer of novel anti-infective pharmaceuticals, announced today that a recent series of in vitro studies conducted by Southern Research in Birmingham, Alabama, have demonstrated that its novel class of antimicrobials, named bisphosphocins, have proven effective at killing multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria responsible for the chronic lung infection tuberculosis. Approximately one-third of the world's population is infected by this bacteria, which is increasingly becoming resistant to the current five-drug cocktail used to treat these infections. This issue is sparking serious concern in world health organizations and medical communities as they no longer have an effective cure for many of these patients.
These studies expand on previously published experiments demonstrating Nu-3 to be effective in killing multi-drug resistant bacteria and highlight the potential of this important new class of antimicrobials. Specifically, the time-kill studies revealed that Nu-3 was highly effective, generating a 100 percent kill rate with as little as a 15-minute incubation against MDR-TB strains CSU 39 and CSU 41 – both of which are resistant to more than six classes of antibiotics – and wild type strain H37Rv.
This result highlights the novel directly bactericidal mechanism of action of the bisphosphocin class, which is time and concentration dependent, resulting in killing of gram positive and gram negative bacteria in less time than they take to replicate.
Lakewood-Amedex believes the bisphosphocin class of antimicrobials has the ability to significantly change how infections are treated and overcome the ability of bacteria to become resistant. In previously conducted studies published in a peer-reviewed journal, bisphosphocin Nu-3 was shown to eradicate a Pseudomonal lung infection with a single aerosolized dose. This result is significant because bisphosphocins can eradicate slow growing or stationary bacteria, such as Mycobacterium, eliminating any opportunity for the development of resistance. Based on this data, an aerosolized solo Nu-3 treatment would be expected to dramatically reduce the current tuberculosis treatment regime, which is composed of a five-drug cocktail administered for up to six months or longer if the strains are found to be MDR-TB or extensively drug-resistant (XDR).
The Company is developing Nu-3 as an intravenous formulation for serious bacterial infections, such as complicated urinary tract infections, and a topical formulation for difficult to treat infections, such as chronic infected diabetic foot ulcers, fungal infections, and ophthalmic infections where a broad spectrum of activity is required.
Study finds weakness in drug-resistant tuberculosis pathogens