Roche's Breakthrough Antibiotic | 08 Jan 2024
Roche, a Swiss healthcare giant, has discovered a groundbreaking antibiotic, Zosurabalpin, targeting the notorious gram-negative bacteria.
- It has shown promising efficacy against drug-resistant Acinetobacter strains, particularly Carbapenem-resistant A baumannii (CRAB) that is listed as a critical pathogen by the WHO.
- Zosurabalpin’s action disrupts the bacteria's outer membrane construction, specifically targeting the transport mechanism of lipopolysaccharide, a crucial barrier in gram-negative bacteria.
- Bacteria are classified into two groups: Gram-positive or Gram-negative, depending on whether they retain a specific stain color. Gram-positive bacteria retain a violet-colored stain, while Gram-negative bacteria appear pinkish or red.
- Gram-negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer in the cell wall, which is sandwiched between two lipid membranes, giving them a complex structure.
- This outer membrane acts as a barrier, making them more resistant to antibiotics.
- Gram-negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer in the cell wall, which is sandwiched between two lipid membranes, giving them a complex structure.