A scientific paper released today in the Journal of Antibiotics presents the pre-clinical development of Ramizol®, a first generation drug belonging to a new class of styrylbenzene antibiotics with a novel mechanism of action.
The research was undertaken by Australian company Boulos & Cooper Pharmaceuticals in partnership with the University of South Australia, Flinders University, Eurofins Panlabs and Micromyx LLC. The study found that over 99.9% of the drug, administered orally, stays in the gastrointestinal tract where it can reach the bacteria in the colon at high enough concentrations to yield a therapeutic effect.
Chief Executive Officer of Boulos & Cooper Pharmaceuticals, Dr Ramiz Boulos, said "this new class of antibiotics has antioxidant properties and can be manufactured for a low cost; benefits that will be felt by the end-user".
The new antibiotic has low frequency of resistance and shows promise as a monotherapy for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated disease. Dr Boulos stated "we are very excited about these results given the unforgiving nature of Clostridium difficile infections". He added "In a world where there are few treatment options, we are desperate for new antibiotics to fight intractable infections".
The company expects to start Phase I clinical trials in 2017.
###
The Journal of Antibiotics