Edixomed develops revolutionary technology for tackling antimicrobial resistance

Dec 22 2017

New results announced at the recent Wounds UK conference and Eurobiofilms 2017 congress, have provided the latest evidence that Edixomed, a UK biotechnology company, has developed a revolutionary new technology for tackling the enormous public health challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Edixomed’s unique technology, which can be delivered as a liquid, gel or inhaled spray, rapidly and safely kills bacteria, viruses and fungi, including the hardest-to-treat antibiotic resistant strains.

“‘Super-bugs’, resistant to all currently available antibiotics, are expected to kill 10 million people a year by 2050. The threat is very real but we hope to soon have a viable and innovative solution with which to strike” said Professor Art Tucker, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

Through a novel mode-of-action, Edixomed’s core technology safely harnesses one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms, the nitric oxide cycle, to amplify the body’s own response in fighting infection, improving healing and potentially increasing the activity of any prescribed antibiotic. With decades of research supporting the potential of nitric oxide, Edixomed has developed a unique, safe and versatile system, with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, and which can be used for a variety of clinical applications.

The latest data demonstrated that Edixomed’s breakthrough has the ability to kill all organisms for several deadly infections, such as MRSA and E. coli. Furthermore, Edixomed’s technology effectively prevented and treated multidrug-resistant bacteria biofilms – the large bacterial colonies with a protective layer which normally prevents the body’s immune system, or antibiotics, from being effective.

“Here we have an innovative technology with multiple forms of delivery and applications. It can be inhaled into the lungs for respiratory conditions, applied to the skin as a gel or liquid, or used as a dressing for infected wounds or pre-surgical protection. With such broad applicability this truly could be the breakthrough we’ve been searching for in the fight against antibiotic resistance,” said Professor Ben Benjamin, Honorary Professor of Medicine of Exeter Medical School.

Edixomed’s nitric oxide technology is also being investigated in the clinic, with the most advanced developments in a UK-based randomized control study assessing safety and effectiveness in diabetic foot ulcers, the leading cause of diabetes related amputations.

Commenting on the substantial impact diabetic foot ulcers have, Dr Paul Chadwick, Clinical Director at the College of Podiatry, said, “treatment of diabetic foot ulcers currently costs the NHS more than £1 billion a year and infected ulcers lead to over 135 amputations per week. Early referral to foot-care services, reducing infection and accelerating healing, could significantly contribute to a reduction in the number of these avoidable amputations.”

There is also a compassionate use evaluation of Edixomed’s nitric oxide technology in Buruli ulcers in a clinic in Ghana. Buruli ulcer is one of the priority diseases recognized by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease and most commonly occurs in children. It is caused by a bacterial infection which can result in serious, chronic wounds, with the potential to cause significant scarring and deformity. Patients currently receive antibiotic therapy but it can be slow to work. An ability to tackle the infection more quickly would be a major breakthrough for these patients.

“We are excited by the results we have seen in the clinic and lab and we are working to maximize the potential benefit to as many patients as possible, and as quickly as possible. Edixomed has developed a completely new, important solution to the problem of antibiotic resistance,” said Professor Chris Wood, Chief Medical Officer, Edixomed.