AMR Centre teams up to tackle gonorrhoea

The AMR Centre (AMRC) Is to work with biopharmaceutical company Microbiotix on a project to develop a treatment for gonorrhoea.

The project is targeting multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea and will see AMRC undertake pre-clinical development to drive Microbiotix's novel mechanism drug, a Trans T ribosome rescue inhibitor, through lead optimisation and into pre-clinical nomination.

The collaboration is currently receiving $2.86 million in grant funding and could receive an additional $16 million if certain development milestones are met. The funding is being offered by CARB-X, an organisation which helps accelerate global antibacterial projects.

Gonorrhoea has been named a critical pathogen by the World Health Organisation, as well an ‘urgent public health threat’ by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for its current resistance to antibiotics.

It’s estimated that 78 million people are infected with gonorrhoea every year, with 40% of isolates resistant to two or more antibiotics. More so, a strain of the infection known as ‘super gonorrhoea’ has become more common and is resistant to the recommended dual therapy of antibiotics - Azithromycin and Ceftriaxone. There is already widespread resistance to other antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea, leaving a limited number of treatment alternatives available.

The human cost of gonorrhoea is already significant, with untreated cases leading to infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. The infection is responsible for 225,400 years lived with disability per year globally and can be passed on to children during pregnancy.

Dr Peter Jackson, executive director of the AMRC, said: “Over recent years there has been a deeply concerning rise in resistance to the drugs used to treat gonorrhoea – a troubling development given the severe health implications of this infection.

“We are therefore very pleased to have announced this co-development agreement with Microbiotix Inc to progress a novel treatment. We believe that this transatlantic project has the potential to reduce the threat of one of the most concerning strains of antimicrobial resistance.

“We are pleased to be inputting our resources alongside those of CARB-X and Microbiotix, Inc. into this significant program. Our shared resources and expertise will prove crucial in helping to develop the new drugs that will successfully treat this WHO critical pathogen.”