Background :
To increase drug efficacy and reduce the risk of the development of resistance to treatment, clinicians often prescribe multiple drugs of different classes in combination. For example, many topical creams use an aminoglycoside antibiotic in combination with one or two other drugs, such as neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin b. Unfortunately, aminoglycosides are extremely cytotoxic and usually only used as topical treatments or as a last line of defense. As a result, identifying antibiotics that work synergistically with PKZ18 drugs is a promising area of research to improve their efficacy and potentially expand the use of antibiotics already in clinical use.
Technology Overview :
This technology combines PKZ18-22, the most promising analog, with antibiotics from multiple different classes. This synergy provides up to an 8-fold increase in aminoglycoside efficacy when a small amount of PKZ18-22 is added. Combining PKZ18 analogs and aminoglycosides can therefore enhance the efficacy of both drugs while also moderating or diminishing the formation of antibacterial resistance. This technology also expands the therapeutic window, as bacterial growth inhibition can be achieved at much lower concentrations than if either drug were used alone. PKZ18-22 and other PKZ18 analogs are more effective under nutrient-limited conditions, whereas the opposite is true for aminoglycosides; thus, combining these drugs enables targeting of bacteria across varied environments.
Advantages :
Applications :
Intellectual Property Summary : Issued U.S. Patent No. 11,617,741, filed 8/12/21, issued 4/4/23.
Stage of Development : TRL 3 - Experimental proof of concept
Licensing Status : This technology is available for licensing.
Licensing Potential : This technology would be of interest to anyone involved in the development of antibiotics, including:
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