Dutch Scientists Launch Bacteria-Killing Biologic

Micreos, a Dutch biotech, launched Staphefekt, a bacteria-killing enzyme shown to be effective in humans against staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains. The biological technology is unique because beneficial bacteria are not targeted and the treatment is expected to circumvent endolysin resistance.

Endolysins differ from traditional antibiotic treatments in several significant ways. Foremost is their ability to attach and work on stemming the spread of infection from the surface of the cell membrane.  Antibiotics only work inside the cell, and antibiotic-resistant strains of infection are those which have developed impenetrable membranes, The Telegraph reports.

Scientists consider this breakthrough a significant advance in the fight against “superbugs”— the growing problem of antibiotic resistant strains of both known and unknown diseases.

Dr. Bjorn Herpers, clinical microbiologist from Public Health Lab, explained the revolutionary possibilities introduced by the new treatment at the London conference, Antibiotics Alternatives for the New Millennium.

Herpers said, “With the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, new strategies for the treatment of bacterial infections are needed. As well as being less prone to resistance induction than antibiotics, endolysins destroy only their target bacterial species, leaving the beneficial bacteria alone.”

The CDC’s 2013 report, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in The United States, estimates conservatively that 80,000 Americans are infected with MRSA, and 11,000 cases prove fatal. The report classifies MRSA as a “serious threat” requiring immediate redress.

Staphefekt is a topical treatment which is applied directly to intact skin. The Telegraph reports that a pill or injectable version of the drug is expected within the next five years, if research proceeds as planned.

Mark Offerhaus, CEO of Micreos, said, “We enter a new era in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is a far more logical and elegant approach, and millions of people stand to benefit.”