Respiratory Infections FAQs

Respiratory Infections FAQs

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that affects the lungs, digestive system, sweat glands, and male fertility. Its name derives from the fibrous scar tissue that develops in the pancreas, one of the principal organs affected by the disease.

What treatments are available for Cystic Fibrosis?

NovaBiotics compounds are aimed at treating the serious lung infections associated with cystic fibrosis. Currently available treatments include antibiotics and mucolytic agents.

Why do you need antibiotics/antimicrobials to treat Cystic Fibrosis?

The lung infections that cystic fibrosis patients are particularly vulnerable to are associated with poor quality of life and ultimately are the cause of death in approximately 80% of cystic fibrosis patients.

Why are Mucolytic agents helpful in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis patients build up large quantities of mucus (also known as sputum) in their lungs. The ability to degrade this sputum means that patients find it easier to breathe and reduces the risk of further infection.

What are Antimicrobial Peptides?

Antimicrobial peptides are small proteins with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

What is a Mucolytic agent?

Mucolytic agents are substances that dissolve thick mucus and are used medically to help relieve respiratory difficulties.

What microbes can Novarifyn™ kill?

Novarifyn™ can kill a broad spectrum of pathogenic bacteria associated with respiratory infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Burkholderia cepacia complex.

How does Novarifyn™ kill these bacteria?

Novarifyn™ attacks the bacterial cell membranes causing the contents of the cell to leak out, causing death. They do not attack the cell membranes of human cells.

Can Novarifyn™ kill other microbes that cause lung infections?

Novarifyn™ can kill a broad spectrum of pathogenic bacteria. Please see the Novarifyn™ Technology Summary for further details.

What is antibiotic (antimicrobial) resistance and why is it important?

Antibiotic resistance is a very important problem in health care and means that some bacteria are no longer killed by antibiotics previously used to treat infections. Therefore, there is a need for the development of new antimicrobial compounds, especially those that bacteria are unlikely to develop resistance to.

How can Novarifyn™ overcome the problems associated with antibiotic (antimicrobial) resistance?

Unlike most antibiotics, Novarifyn™ does not target specific biochemical pathways in the cells, so the bacteria cannot adapt to become resistant. By targeting the cell membrane, Novarifyn™ can kill cells that are not actively growing too, unlike most current antibiotics.

When will Novarifyn™ and/or Lynovex™ become available?

Novarifyn™ and Lynovex™ are currently at the preclinical stage of development and have shown promising results in all models tested. It will take a few more years before these compounds become available to the public as drugs.

Can I take part in a clinical trial?

There are currently no clinical trials running for these compounds. Please complete the form on our contact page and we will keep you informed on progress and when the first clinical trial will start recruiting.

Is NovaBiotics’ technology compatible with conventional treatments?

NovaBiotics’ proprietary technology shows not only compatibility, but also improved activity with antibiotics used to treat cystic fibrosis patients.

Why is it better to deliver these agents to the lungs?

How is the compound delivered into the lungs?

Novarifyn™ and Lynovex™ have been designed for aerosolisation or nebulisation facilitating optimal delivery to the sites of infection in the lungs.