The University of Liverpool has been awarded an initial grant of £250,000 to help develop antibiotics for multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria.

Currently, MDR bacteria are one of the most dangerous threats to human health. Typically, MDR bacteria are associated with infections that originated or were acquired in a hospital.

The University of Liverpool reports its Centre for Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics (CAP) has been awarded the funds by Spero Therapeutics for the development of a new antibiotic called SPR206.

Antimicrobial pharmacodynamics is the branch of pharmacology that examines how a drug affects bacteria and is a requirement for the development of drug treatments.

Initial research suggests this new antibiotic may be safer and just as effective as colistin, which is currently a last resort for treatment of MDR bacteria in the NHS as it is frequently toxic.

The research will be led by Professor William Hope and Dr Shampa Das.

The discovery of SPR206 and its preclinical development is being supported by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

Spero Therapeutics is a global, multi-asset, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. Their mission is to become a leader in the field of antibiotics.

William Hope said “This funding will help support further work of the CAP, where the principal task is to identify regimens to take into first-in-patient clinical studies.”