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First antibiotic in 50 years to tackle superbug in final testing

Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, announced it will begin late-stage human trials of zosurabalpin, a novel antibiotic targeting drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, in 2025.
This development follows decades without new antibiotic classes active against Gram-negative bacteria like Acinetobacter, which causes severe infections and kills 40-60% of affected patients globally.
The phase 3 trial will enroll about 400 hospitalized patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections and compare zosurabalpin against standard treatments, as previous phases confirmed safety and tolerability.
Michael Lobritz, Roche's global head of infectious diseases, stated that their aim is to drive innovative solutions to address the critical public health issue of antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the drug’s role in advancing future antibiotic discoveries.
If authorized, zosurabalpin would represent the first novel antibiotic in approximately five decades to target these resistant superbugs, aligning with critical priorities set by the World Health Organization and contributing to the global effort against escalating antimicrobial resistance.

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