 MRSA
(methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections are a
major target in NovaBiotics Ltd commitment to addressing what can
only be described as a crisis of antibiotic resistance. MRSA is
resistant to most prescribed antibiotics and is commonly referred
to as the “superbug”. NovaBiotics
Ltd is actively pursuing advanced pre-clinical research into
combating MRSA infections.
NovaBiotics understands the urgency to develop alternative
antibiotic therapies, not only in order to combat existing resistant
infections such as MRSA, but to prevent the emergence of others, Clostriduim
dificile and VRSA being examples. VRSA, or vancomycin-resistant S.
aureus has acquired resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin,
often considered the “last line of defence” when
all other antibiotics have failed. The incidence of VRSA and
resistant C. dificile infections may be extremely rare
at present, but experts believe that these and other emerging
strains will soon overcome current antibiotic treatments and
become a much more significant healthcare problem.
“MRSA-related deaths in the UK
doubled in the four years between 1999 and 2003”
 In the 6 months from October 2004 to March 2005, the number
of MRSA-related deaths was 3688. Most of the deaths involving
MRSA or S. aureus were in older age groups. In 2003
mortality rates for deaths involving MRSA were 437.1 per million
deaths in males aged 85+, whereas this figure was only 0.9 deaths
per million deaths in males aged under 45.
 NovaBiotics
Ltd has demonstrated the effectiveness of its novel antimicrobial
technology against various strains of MRSA. The mode of action
of NovaBiotics Ltd novel peptide compounds is such that resistance
is highly unlikely, if not impossible in target MRSA populations.
Importantly, NovaBiotics' technology is bactericidal against
MRSA (i.e the compound kill not merely inhibit MRSA).
NovaBiotics Ltd are working in collaboration with pharmacology
experts in order to develop the most effective delivery systems
for our proprietary novel antimicrobial compounds for use against
MRSA and other infections that are, or are likely to become resistant
to conventional antibiotic therapies.
"The global increase in resistance
to antimicrobial drugs, including the emergence of bacterial
strains that are resistant to all available antibacterial agents,
has created a public health problem of potentially crisis proportions." American
Medical Association (1995),
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